Dangerous Devotion
by stephfarrow94
Summary: After Bel gets Fran involved in drugs and other bad habits, he starts sliding down a slippery slope he has no idea how to climb back up. Yaoi, BelxFran B26, drug use, AU.
1. Chapter 1

When Fran first told his guardian that he was in a relationship, Mukuro had been genuinely happy for the socially awkward boy. However, once he had been told it was with a twenty-six-year-old man – one whom Mukuro knew of only too well – he had put his foot down and demanded for Fran to end the relationship _now_ before anything happened. As expected, Fran had been adamant and refused to do so.

That was what had led to their current conversation – or argument, if you knew them well enough.

"I won't have you dating someone like that blond, Fran." Mukuro was sitting on the couch of his living room, Fran across from him. His arms were folded against his chest, his heterochromatic eyes stern. "You don't know what he's like."

"What, and _you _do?" Fran remained as emotionless as ever, but he was quickly becoming agitated; he had known his boyfriend for a few months now, and though he knew the other didn't have the best grasp on reality and was into drugs, it wasn't as if he was going to get _hurt_! He didn't like Mukuro trying to tell him what to do _at all_ – not in _this _situation when he was old enough to make his own decisions in life.

"Yes, I do, actually." Mukuro frowned. "He's not... what you think he is, and I'll be _damned _if I let you hang around that kind of person, Fran."

"Why do you think he'd hurt me, Master?" The boy tilted his head to the side. "He hasn't done anything to me."

"One; he randomly approached you on the street just to tell you you're cute. Two; he's a twenty-six-year-old man pushing for a relationship with a high schooler. Three; whatever he's telling you probably isn't even true, Fran. You're better off without that kind of person in your life."

"Master wasn't the best kind of person for me when _I_ was little..." Fran muttered, turning to look out of the window. "You were in to bad stuff, too, but you cleaned yourself up for me..."

"That's different, Fran..." Mukuro cleared his throat in uneasiness at this sudden accusation, knowing he should have expected it; while Fran was a docile person by nature, he could be the nastiest little shit you'd ever meet when he wanted to be.

"No, it's not; Master did bad stuff but _he _changed – why won't you give him a chance, Master?"

"Because I _know _he won't change..." Mukuro sighed, knowing nothing he said wasn't going to get through to his charge. He instead stood up, running a hand through blue locks in a tired manner. "You won't change your mind, either... When you get hurt, don't say I didn't warn you."

"I _won't _get hurt, Master."

"We'll see..." Mukuro walked out of the living room, heading upstairs and into his bedroom.

Fran just shrugged before he grabbed the TV remote, turning it on and flicking through channels.

"Master has no idea what he's talking about..." Fran muttered to himself. "He's just being stupid again..."

With a sigh, the teal-haired boy turned the TV back off before he stood up, moving to his own bedroom to get some sleep. It was going to be stressful dealing with Mukuro about this, so he'd have to get all the rest he can in preparation.

_**~~XX~~**_

"Froggy looks sad today~"

Fran poked at his lunch with his fork, sighing. He was sitting in at a cafe with his boyfriend, dull eyes staring out into the world beyond. He nodded, turning to look at the blond sitting across from him. "Just... Master being an idiot..."

"I think you should move out, Froggy." A grin crossed the other male's face, obscured eyes shining with malice. "He's no good for you. You can move in with me instead~"

"Thank you, Bel-senpai, but Master wouldn't let me." Picking up his fork again, the boy tried to eat a bit more pasta. "He'd start another fight between us if I tried."

"Just leave him~ He probably doesn't even want you there anyway." The older male – Bel – reached out, caressing a soft cheek. "Not like _I _want you with me~ Froggy can do whatever he wants~ And he can smoke with me~!"

"I don't do drugs, senpai," Fran explained calmly. He was growing used to saying this, the blond always hinting one way or another that he'd love for his boyfriend to smoke with him, but Fran didn't mind; it was just part of Bel's quirks. "Sorry; I'd rather not."

"Just one little hit? You can snort something if you'd rather – or inject it. Froggy's choice~"

"No, thank you, senpai." Fran was as calm as ever, knowing how to deal with the stronger male. "I'd rather not do it at all."

"Aww, that's okay, Froggy~" Bel stood up, moving to the younger's side. He kissed Fran's temple before he lowered his face, nibbling at his earlobe next. "Maybe in future?"

"Maybe, senpai." It was easier going along with the blond, that was for sure.

"Cool~" Bel straightened up before he returned to his seat, his grin only widening. "Can Froggy cover me? I haven't got money today~"

"Sure." Fran honestly didn't mind paying Bel's way; he was sure that Bel would do the same for him if he needed to. "Are you done, senpai? I need to get back home by two or Master's going to have a fit again; I was meant to be studying for my tests today."

"That's okay~" Bel abandoned his food as he bounded to his feet, seemingly glad to be leaving. "I'll wait for you out in the car, Froggy~ Don't be too long~"

"I won't be." Fran waited patiently in line and, once he got to the counter, paid for both of their meals. He left the cafe after taking his change, finding Bel sitting in his car already, a blunt in his mouth as he raised a lighter to the tip of it. He scrunched his nose up before he approached the vehicle, not wanting to be around such potent things.

Bel looked up as the passenger side door opened. He dropped the lighter into his pocket as he pulled the blunt from his lips, grinning at his boyfriend. "Hey, Froggy~"

"Senpai..." Fran wound the window down slightly, hoping it would help filter the smoke. "Senpai, can you please not smoke around me?"

"Just this one?" Bel put the car into gear before he pulled out, not bothering to give way to the car that was forced to slam its breaks on due to his actions. "It costs a lot of money, so it'd be such a waste~ Unless you want to smoke it for me, Froggy~?"

Fran shook his head, winding the window down further. "Just that one, senpai. You can finish it."

"Thank you, Froggy~" Bel put the blunt back in his mouth, pushing down on the accelerator as the traffic light in front of them turned orange. Fran held his breath as the car sped through a set of red lights, bracing himself for the impact that never came only because people were smart enough to realise Bel was only going to continue speeding up.

"Does Froggy have to go home?" Bel turned to look at the younger male, greatly enjoying the smoke that floated around him. "Wanna come over to mine first?"

"I can't, senpai; Master already didn't want me to come out today; he'll say no altogether for next time if I don't come home now."

Bel sighed before he nodded. "Alright, Froggy. Will you come over tonight instead, then?"

"Master wouldn't drive me out, even if he _did _say yes." It frustrated Fran to be unable to spend time with his boyfriend, and he knew Bel could see that.

"Shishi~" The blond tilted his head to the side as he tapped at his nose knowingly. "Just sneak out~ I'll park down the road and bring you over to mine once the stupid pineapple's in bed. Okay?"

Fran really wasn't a rule breaker by nature, but he _did _want to spend time with Bel instead of having Mukuro breathing down his neck like an overbearing parent. He nodded without a second thought, agreeing verbally.

"Okay, senpai. Master usually goes to bed at twelve. Is that too late?"

"Nope~ Shishi, I'll be there at quarter-past~ Walk down towards the corner shops, 'kay?"

"Sure thing, senpai." Fran nodded, greatly looking forward to tonight – even if he _did _know that he'd be in some serious trouble if he were caught sneaking out of the house. "Twelve-fifteen, towards the corner shops."

"Sounds good~"

Fran sat back in the passenger seat, turning to the window once more. He continued to tense and brace himself throughout the drive, hating the man's erratic behaviour – sometimes he wasn't sure if Bel was just too high to even know what he was doing, or if he was simply blatantly disregarding the laws and safety of everyone around him.

After a near miss that involved the blond's car sliding out and the one that had swerved to miss him scraping against a guardrail, doing nothing to knock some sense into the man, Fran was pretty sure it was the latter.


	2. Chapter 2

When Fran got into his boyfriend's car that night, he wasn't surprised to smell the unmistakable scent of drugs in the air. He coughed slightly as he wound the window down, wanting to air it out before he leant over and kissed the older male.

Bel was eager to devour Fran's mouth, moaning as he crushed their lips together. His tongue had been granted entrance into the younger's mouth, and the taste of sweets that was the boy drove him crazy.

When Fran pushed him away for air, the blond was disappointed, but he didn't say anything; he just started the car up before he turned around, driving back to his home.

"Is Froggy excited for tonight?" the blond asked, ploughing straight through a stop sign without even having looked for incoming traffic. He himself was excited, having already thought about the things he wanted to do with the boy.

Fran nodded. "Yes, senpai. I don't get to come out much, do I?"

"Froggy is being controlled by the stupid pineapple; he should be free to do whatever Froggy wants to do."

Fran didn't reply to this, knowing there was no point in arguing with Bel over Mukuro; the blond was persistent when he wanted to be, and he didn't want to fight tonight – not when he had already been fighting some more with Mukuro.

"Does the pineapple know you've snuck out?" Bel reached down to the cup-holder that rested in between the two front seats. He grabbed the can he had been drinking since he first got into the car, the label glinting with the light from the streetlamps.

Fran was uncomfortable to see that it was alcohol, having never liked the idea of getting in the car with someone too intoxicated to drive safely – the only reason he had to be here right now was that he didn't get to spend enough time with his boyfriend, and Bel had been drunk-driving for _years_ and had never had an accident. Fran knew his reasoning was petty, but he had never had all that much regard for himself in the first place.

"No, senpai; Master would throw a fit if he knew."

Bel nodded, laughing quietly to himself at the knowledge that he was a bad influence on Fran. "Thought as much~"

It was quiet between them as they made the journey back to Bel's home, the only sounds being the radio and the soft sloshing of the alcohol in between them. When at last, just ten minutes later, the car had been pulled into Bel's driveway and turned off, Fran felt safe again; being in that car was a death-trap, but what choice did he have? He wanted to be with his boyfriend, and he couldn't rely on Mukuro to help him.

The boy followed the older male over to the front door, waiting patiently as Bel tried to sort through the keys. He leant down and picked them up when they were dropped to the ground, knowing that the blond had probably drunk more than he could handle.

"Thank you, Froggy~" There was a slight slur to the man's voice, but Fran didn't mind; it was still his boyfriend, and he would have to learn to get used to it. Bel eventually unlocked the house and flipped the lights on, letting Fran step inside first.

Fran had been here before, but not many times. He walked into the living room, the second door on his right, taking a seat placed in the middle of the room. The soft leather was cold beneath him, but he knew it would warm up eventually. The TV opposite him was still playing, an unfamiliar movie that one of the channels were showing. The curtains on the windows had been drawn, the street lamps and passing cars visible. The only other thing in the room was the large caged pressed halfway across one of the windows, housing the man's pet mink.

Bel didn't own much, Fran knew; he had a habit of spending his money on his habits.

"Froggy~" Bel followed the younger over to the couch. He sat next to the boy before he pulled Fran onto his lap, pressing their mouths together. He reached down, unbuttoning the white shirt his boyfriend was wearing, slipping his hand inside so that he could caress hardening nubs.

Fran made a soft noise of protest as he reached up, pushing the hands away from his body. There was a slightly flushed appearance to him, but his eyes were as emotionless as ever. "No, senpai... I've told you I don't want to do stuff like that yet."

Bel suppressed a giggle as he nodded, pulling his hands back to his own body. He carefully pushed the smaller male from his lap as he stood up, stumbling slightly to the side. "Does Froggy want something to drink? I have lots of alcohol~"

"Anything but alcohol, senpai." Fran watched the other nod, disregarding the smirk on the man's face, before he turned to the TV, grabbing the remote which was tucked in the side of the couch. He flipped through the channels, waiting for Bel to come back.

In the kitchen, Bel had grabbed two glasses down from the cabinet. He filled both of them with soda but, before he took them out to the living room, he tipped a bit of alcohol in both of them. He didn't stop there; he pulled a small capsule from his pocket, tipping the crushed remnants of a pill into the glass he knew he was going to give to his boyfriend.

"Froggy's gonna like this~" Bel grinned as he tossed the capsule onto the counter, no longer needing it. "He's gonna smoke with me once he has this~"

Bel whistled to himself cheerfully as he grabbed both glasses, taking them out to the living room. He smiled brightly as he handed the younger his glass, sipping at his own as he watched Fran sniff the soda suspiciously.

"It's coke, Froggy~" Bel reassured. "Just coke~ I promise~"

Fran nodded, trusting the other's words. He took a big gulp of the 'soda', trying to quench his first. He noticed someone was... _off _about the flavour, but he didn't question it; he _trusted _Bel.

Bel giggled as he patted at his lap, coming to sit by the younger again. "Rest your head, Froggy~ Drink your drink first; it'll get hot otherwise~"

Fran did as he was instructed, finishing off the rest of his glass. He then laid down on his side, his head on the other's lap, watching the TV in peace. He purred happily as he felt a hand caress his head, very much at peace.

Bel was greatly excited, waiting for the ecstasy he had slipped Fran to kick in. It shouldn't take too long, especially since the blond had tipped in more than someone of the boy's height and weight should be able to handle.

At last, Bel knew it was working. Fran had moaned softly, trying to press himself closer to the hands that were touching him.

"How do you feel, Froggy?" Bel smirked as he pulled his hands away, amused by the way Fran was trying to push himself up and follow the hands that had abandoned him.

"...Mmm..." Fran turned his head to look up at Bel. His eyes were wide, his mouth hanging open. "...Bel-senpai... I... feel weird..."

"It's okay," Bel promised, bringing his hands back down to pat the boy. "It's okay, Froggy; you'll get used to it."

"Feels... weird..." Fran moaned softly again, his heart thumping against his chest. "Bel-senpai..."

"Shh... It's still kicking in; you'll feel great once it does." Bel slid his hand down to Fran's chest again, slipping in past the white button-up shirt once more. He went back to caressing the nubs he had previously, and this time he was met with no resistance at all.

Fran moaned, arching into the touch. His groin was quickly hardening, and he was barely conscious of the fact that his boyfriend's other hand was undoing the zip on his pants, letting his shaft spring out into the chilly air.

Bel licked his lips as he wrapped his hand around the boy, simultaneously freeing himself. He guided Fran's face to his length, helping the boy swallow all of it. He hissed in pleasure as he felt a wet tongue lick at him, squeezing the erection in his hand.

The boy was too pleasure-stricken to truly know what was going on, and it was only too easy for Bel to coax him out of his clothes and into full-blown sex.

_**~~XX~~**_

"Senpai..." Fran watched with a fearless gaze as a syringe was brought ever closer to him, a sly smirk on Bel's face. "Senpai, what's in it?"

"Heroin. Give me your arm." Bel reached out, grabbing the arm that was extended towards him. He slid the sleeve upwards, revealing long, skinny arms. He pushed the tip of the needle into it, injecting the contents of the syringe into the boy's body.

"How come you're giving it to me?" Fran blinked innocently as he pulled his arm back to his person, the effects of the drugs he had been given hitting him hard.

"Because I'm going to start you off slow with this stuff until you're ready to _really _get high with me." Bel leant forward, pressing their lips together. He pulled Fran closer so that their chests rested together, grinding their hips. "Want more sex? I always get horny when I'm high~"

Fran nodded dumbly, his inhibitions too far too low for him to care what they did together right now. He moaned as he was pressed back down onto the hardwood flood, his arousal springing straight back up.

Bel hovered over the boy, grabbing the joint he had abandoned next to him in favour of giving the younger heroin. He took a deep breath, inhaling as much smoke as he could, before blowing it out into Fran's face.

The boy coughed as he was bombarded with smoke, but he didn't say anything; he was far too high to even _know _what to say.

Bel finished his blunt as he eased himself into Fran's body, taking no time to prepare him at all – if Fran hadn't been drugged the way he had been, he would have protested in pain.

But, alas, Fran was hardly coherent to even know what he was getting himself into.

_**~~XX~~**_

The sun had long-since started to rise, and neither male had slept at all that night. By the time Bel had finally wised up to the fact that if he didn't get Fran home before Mukuro woke up, they'd both be in strife.

"Oi, Froggy..." Bel shook the boy curled up against him, the two laying on the floor together. "Froggy..."

Fran moaned in response, coming down from his hit. He was trembling, unexplainably anxious and feeling as if his head was about to explode. He rolled onto his side, tear-filled eyes looking up at the blond. "...?"

"What time does the pineapple usually wake up?" Bel reached out, grabbing the syringe that had long-since been abandoned. He shook it, wondering if there was anything left in it. Shrugging, he slipped his striped sleeve up before poking the needle through his skin, taking anything he could get.

"..." Fran blinked in a confused manner for a few seconds, as if he didn't understand the question.

"When will Mukuro get out of bed?" the older male repeated, agitation building inside of him.

"...I don't... Mmm... Sixish...?" Fran tried to push himself into a sitting position, only to fall backwards, unable to hold his swaying body steady. "...Senpai... I feel really bad... Really, _really _bad..."

"It happens." The older male shrugged as he stood up, pulling Fran along with him. "It takes a while to get used to it. You'll be fine."

"S-senpai..." Fran gasped in a breath as he reached up, wiping at his wet eyes. "...I... feel really depressed now..."

"Yes, yes, but if we don't leave _now, _your stupid pineapple is going to know you snuck out; get up." Bel's attitude changed in that split second, no longer caring and gentle, but distant and somewhat aggressive.

Fran allowed himself to be pulled to his feet, clinging to the older male in an effort to keep on his feet. He sobbed as tears fell down his cheeks, having never felt like this before; there had been moments in his life he did feel a bit upset about, but never before had he felt like shedding a few tears, much less feeling as if he were about to break down into uncontrollable hysterics.

"Sit." The blond helped Fran over to the couch before he gathered their clothing, getting them both dressed. Once that was done, he pulled the boy out of the house and into the car, haphazardly making his way back to Fran's home. He drove off the second his boyfriend had stumbled out of the car, not wanting to stick around in case Mukuro was already awake and knew what had happened.

Fran couldn't get himself back to the house; he could only lay on the cold footpath as tears ran down his cheeks, having no idea what had happened; most of the night was just one big blur to him, and he really couldn't remember _anything _he had done – just that his body was aching, he felt depressed and anxious, and that he knew when Mukuro found him out here, he was going to be skinned alive.

"Fran!"

The boy tensed as aforementioned man's footsteps ran towards him, pulling away from the hands that rested on his shoulders.

"Fran..." Mukuro pulled the boy into his arms, carrying Fran into the house. He took him into the living room and laid him down on the couch, going to fetch a warm blanket to put over him.

When the older male returned, Fran could only reach out, tangling his small fingers in the black pyjama shirt the man wore. He sobbed as he choked out, "I'm sorry...", knowing Mukuro would probably never forgive him.

Heterochromatic eyes stared into emerald ones before Mukuro just sighed, shaking his head. He reached out, running a hand through soft teal locks as he attempted to soothe his charge. "It's alright, little one... Drugs are... hard to resist at times... I know... I know you're a good kid, Fran; you were just hanging around a bad influence... It's not your fault... It's not your fault..."

Fran refused to let go of Mukuro's shirt, holding the taller male close. He cried, scared for what the other thought of him now; he loved Mukuro like a father, and the thought of losing him was terrifying.

"It's okay, Fran..." Mukuro was patient, knowing he had absolutely no room to judge Fran; he himself had once been into hard drugs, an addict just like Belphegor – he knew the temptations, the sensations and, most of all, the crash when the height wore off. He didn't know the details about what had happened last night; all he knew was that he had to be here for Fran and try – _try _– to get him out of that relationship before anything worse happened. "It's okay..."

"Master..." A frightened look crossed Fran's face as realisation struck him. He sniffed before he explained, "...I... I think I... lost my virginity..."

"...Oh..." Mukuro glanced away, knowing Fran had never been a typical male teenager who had a high sex drive; instead, he had bordered on asexual, wanting a relationship but nothing physical. It must be harder than he could imagine for the boy.

"...I can't even... remember my first time..." Tears fell harder down Fran's face at the realisation, pulling himself into Mukuro's arms.

Mukuro could only hold him and try to soothe him to the best of his ability. The next time Belphegor dared show his face, he would most certainly kill the blond for what he had done.


	3. Chapter 3

Mukuro had kept Fran home from school for several days, seeing that the younger's reaction to the drugs had been _very _overwhelming; they had left the boy in a depressive, anxious state for almost a week, and he was only just now starting to get better.

What _really _upset Mukuro the most was the fact that, even though Belphegor had been the entire _cause _of this, Fran still insisted on dating the blond; it irritated him when he would be sitting on the couch next to his charge and hear the soft ping of Fran's smart-phone as he sent and received messages from the drug addict. No matter how hard he had tried to put an end to this, it only made _their _relationship more strained.

"Hey, Fran, do you think you can put the phone away for a while now, please?" Mukuro was sitting on the other end of the couch, a cup of tea in his hand as he _tried _to focus on the DVD he had put on earlier. "It's a bit distracting..."

Fran sighed as he put it into power-saving mode, tossing it carelessly onto the cushion beside him. "Bel-senpai said he had to go anyway..."

There was a lot Mukuro could have said about this – none of it nice – but he knew Fran had already been through a lot and didn't need to feel as if he were being judged for his boyfriend's actions. "I'm sorry, little one. Can we finish this movie now, please? I wanted to watch it with you."

"Sorry, Master." Fran moved so that he rested against his guardian, his head on a strong shoulder. He felt a lanky arm wrap around his middle, holding him close.

The movie wasn't particularly interesting for Fran, but he had a feeling it was because he was so lost in his thoughts, he really wasn't taking much notice of anything around him; he was too busy reliving the blurry memories he had of participating in drug use. He felt ashamed to know that, for all this time after the incident, he had been craving what he barely remembered taking, and it _scared_ him to know that just one night had messed him up like this.

Mukuro, who always had a sixth sense when it came to Fran, looked down at the boy. "What's wrong?"

Fran frowned as he shook his head, knowing he couldn't talk about it with Mukuro – he couldn't disappoint the man who had worked so hard on raising him, not with something like _this_. "I'm okay..."

"Are you sure?" Mukuro smoothed down teal strands, watching the younger for a few seconds before he turned back to the TV.

"Yes, Master."

The blue-haired man carefully pushed Fran away as he got off the couch, observing the boy in concern. "Let me go make you a hot chocolate... You'll feel better."

Fran nodded, pulling his knees up to his chest. He wrapped his arms around them as he tried to focus on anything but his thoughts.

The boy gratefully accepted the mug of hot chocolate he was given a few minutes later, curling up back against his guardian. His hands trembled as he held the cup, but Mukuro didn't draw attention to it; he knew it would be because of the drug incident.

A nauseas feeling started overwhelming Fran. He tried his hardest to ignore it, but when he started to dry-retch, he knew he couldn't. He dropped his mug to the hardwood floor, hearing the glass shatter, but he didn't care – he _couldn't_.

"Fran..." Mukuro sighed as he ran his hand through teal locks. He shook his head, knowing there really wasn't anything he could do except try and keep his charge calm. "Fran, it's going to be alright. Whatever you're bottling up, you shouldn't; you can talk to me about it."

Fran shook his head, the last thing he wanted to do worry the man. He jumped up off the couch, earning a few cuts from the broken glass beneath his feet, and ran up the stairs. He could hear Mukuro chasing after him, but he didn't care; he just slammed his bedroom door shut and locked it, keeping the other away from him.

"Fran!" Mukuro sounded greatly worried as he jiggled the doorhandle. "Fran, please let me in...!"

The boy ignored his guardian's pleas as he climbed into his bed, curling up into a ball beneath the blankets. His whole body trembled as he cried, unable to handle how horrible he was feeling lately.

"Bel-senpai..." Tears leaked down the boy's face and onto his pillow as he whimpered for his boyfriend; he didn't understand entirely why Belphegor would involve him in his habits when the younger had clearly stated_ many _times before he didn't want to try drugs, but he loved the blond too much to hate him for it; he just wished the older male had been more considerate to his wishes and feelings. "Bel-senpai, why...?"

On the other side of the door, a dejected Mukuro made his way back into his own bedroom, sitting on the edge of his bed. He could understand how Fran must be feeling; when he had first tried drugs, the crash had hit him as hard as it had Fran, if not harder – despite years of continuous drug and alcohol abuse, the crashes and after-effects had never really gotten better; it had been a full-blown addiction that had kept him coming back for more.

Fran was such a good kid, so it had certainly surprised him to realise that Fran had gotten himself involved in it, but he couldn't blame the younger; he couldn't be certain as Fran didn't remember, but he believed Belphegor may have pressured him into it – much like how Mukuro's cousin had been the one to finally convince him to try a bit, all for the sake of making more money.

"Fran..." Mukuro frowned as he lay back on the double bed, looking up at the white roof. He sighed, not knowing how to help. "I'm sorry, Fran... I should be a better guardian to you..."

_**~~XX~~**_

Belphegor glanced down as he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out, blowing a puff of smoke from his mouth as he noticed Fran's name flashing on his phone.

"Who the fuck is texting you at two in the morning?"

Bel blinked as he looked up, finding his companions watching him with red, clouded eyes. They were all as high as he was, the five of them having been spending hours experimenting with various drug mixtures.

"My boyfriend~ Shishi~" Bel opened the message, reading it aloud. "'Can I come over today? I won't tell Master where I'm going, but I think I've become addicted to something I had; it's all I can think about and I feel physically sick'."

The long, silver-haired male sitting to Bel's left laughed loudly as he patted his friend's shoulder. "What did you give him?"

"I mixed alcohol and ecstasy into his coke, and then gave him a shot of heroin~ Had his cock just _begging _for my touch~" Bel grinned, loving to share his latest exploits with the others.

"Nice going, trash." The dark-haired man with scars on his face smirked before he took a deep puff of his blunt. "Did you fuck him nice and hard?"

Bel nodded excitedly. "Sure did~ Had his cute little ass bleeding everywhere~"

"Have you got a picture of him? Just talking about this makes me horny~" The third companion, a man who wore sunglasses _everywhere _regardless of whether it was night or day, run a hand through his green part of hair, smiling in anticipation.

"Sure do~ I even took a few videos from when he was high~ I got his come face pretty damn good, Lussu~"

The last person of the group who sat on Bel's right was silent, a woman with long indigo hair and violet eyes. She didn't speak but, when the blond started handing his phone around the group, her mind quickly put two-and-two together after seeing just who her friend's boyfriend was.

"Isn't he Mukuro Rokudo's charge?" The woman took a sip of her alcoholic beverage, the smell of weed clinging to her black clothing. She remained emotionless as the younger male nodded, instead explaining, "Mukuro's my cousin. I was the one who got him addicted in the first place. He started cleaning himself up when he took the boy in. I haven't heard from him in several years now so I assume he's still clean."

"Man, why'd he even get off this shit for some stupid little brat?" The long-haired man picked up the syringe lying in between their circle, pressing it to his arm. "I'd rather have just slit the kid's throat and stayed on this."

"He would get some pretty adverse effects once the high wore off, and his friends were quick to work out what he was doing." The woman just shrugged. "Once he took Fran in and realised he was too aggressive and neglectful of him, they helped him off it."

"Fuck that trash." The tallest male of the group raised a bong to his lips, taking a long drag before he lowered it. "Should have just let him rot. If I were Rokudo, I'd have stayed on it just to beat that shit's ass."

Belphegor laughed as he took the bong from his friend. "He could have just gotten Froggy into it like you guys did for me~"

"Oh, fuck yeah." The long-haired male smirked at pleasant memories. "You were one crazy little shit when you were high, brat; never seen an eight-year-old hump a pillow like a fucking dog and not even realise what they were doing."

"I remember going home once after being with you guys, and my parents didn't even care that I smelt of weed~ I think my brother was starting to get high off the scent alone~"

The group laughed loudly. The one with the sunglasses spoke up next. "Whatever happened to your brother?"

Belphegor shrugged. "Dunno. He just up and disappeared."

"Bet he's out whoring himself around like Belphegor did!" More laughter filled the room. "Goddamn, you were a tight little kid, Bel; never been with anyone as tight as you."

"I did good for an eight-year-old?" A hopeful grin crossed Bel's face as he waited for the answer.

"Fuck yeah," the scarred male replied. "Haven't been with a lot of kids before, but you were a hell of a lot better than the ones I fucked."

While the men laughed loudly and shared stories, the woman counted money in silence. She knew what her friends were like, and though she dabbled in the same habits they did, sometimes the things they did horrified her; all those years ago when the leader of their group recruited Bel to join them, she had been against the idea of getting him both drunk and high, much less using him as a personal whore. She had been outvoted, and though it didn't make her feel any better, at least Belphegor had enjoyed what the older males had done to him.

Glancing down at the phone that lay abandoned by Bel's side, the woman noticed that one of the videos was still playing. From the looks of what she was watching, Fran had been _very _high whilst losing what she presumed was his virginity; with the amount of blood that was leaking out of his rear and staining the arousal that plunged in and out of him, it would have hurt _a lot, _but teal eyes were just staring blankly ahead as Fran moaned, his hand caressing his own erection.

The woman just shook her head, knowing that Belphegor was once a sweet-natured boy who just happened to have shitty parents; she knew, deep down inside of her, he would have turned out _vastly _different had he not been roped in to all of this shit when he was still barely a boy – and now someone _else _had become involved.

Violet eyes rolled at the thought.


	4. Chapter 4

"Shishi~ Mammy, look~ I'm a bat~!"

"Put it down before you break something and make me have to pay for it."

"Shishishi~ Mammy's just jealous she's not a bat~"

Fran blinked as he approached his boyfriend, having never seen the woman with Belphegor before. The two were standing in the middle of a retail store, the blond playing with everything he could get his hands on. He had pulled the package from a throw-rug and draped it over his shoulders, flapping his arms in the air as he did so. The man was having fun, Fran had to give him that, but it was almost embarrassing being seen with a twenty-six-year-old behaving like a two-year-old.

"Bel-senpai... You should stop; you're only embarrassing yourself." Fran closed the distance between them as he felt two sets of eyes fix on him. He leant into the hand that reached out, patting him, just glad to be back by his boyfriend's side.

"Froggy finally arrives~" Bel grinned as he carelessly tossed the throw-rug onto the ground, no thought as to the worker's feelings crossing his mind. "We've been waiting forever for you~"

"Sorry, senpai; Master almost wouldn't let me leave the house." Fran sighed. "I'm here now, though; he thinks I've gone out with someone from school."

"Shishi~ Mammy, the little froggy is such a liar to the pineapple when it comes to us~" Bel reached out, pulling Fran to rest against him. He patted the boy's head again, a soft smile crossing his face. "Mammy, this is Froggy~ Froggy, Mammy~"

"Hello." Fran had heard a lot about 'Mammy', knowing that she was Bel's best friend. He had also heard a lot about three other males, but the boy didn't much like the sounds of them; they sounded like horrible people to him, and he hoped he would _never _meet them.

The woman – Mammon – nodded at the youngest before she reached out, gently touching her friend's shoulder. "Are you ready to leave now, Bel?"

Bel nodded, in a very laidback attitude at the moment. He grabbed Fran's hand as he tugged the smaller male along, the two following Mammon out to her car. The blond kept giggling, and Fran could only wonder if he was high again or not.

To the boy's relief, Mammon was a sensible driver; she stopped at stop signs and gave way when she was supposed to, and she knew how to stay on the speed limit. Fran would take her driving any day over Bel's.

Fran didn't mind letting Bel and Mammon converse during the drive home; he wasn't much of a talker himself, preferring to listen than to speak, and he could tell already that these two had a very close friendship; the blond was comfortable talking to Mammon about things Fran wouldn't _dare _speak about to Mukuro, and in turn Mammon listened and returned that comfortableness.

The boy looked up when Mammon spoke to him. "Sorry?"

"I asked how Mukuro was going." Mammon never took her eyes off the road, sitting in a relaxed posture.

"You know Master?" Fran tilted his head, his eyes shining with curiosity; while Mukuro himself had been on drugs at a bad stage in his life, he was under the impression he had cut ties with everyone he had done it with.

"Mukuro's my cousin." Mammon shrugged. "I was just wondering how he was going. I haven't heard from him in a few years, so I imagine he's doing alright."

"Yeah, Master's doing great." Fran's teal eyes shone with happiness as he acknowledged how far Mukuro had come from the angry, depressed teenager who would hit him for no reason and yell at him for little things. The boy honestly used to be _afraid _of Mukuro, but once the older male's friend had explained to him that it wasn't _Mukuro _doing those things, it was the bad things the blue-haired male was taking that made him act that way, he understood. Once the teenager had gotten off the drugs and been helped through the withdrawal stages, Fran met a new Mukuro, one who was happy and playful and had never hurt him again. "I don't think he's ever mentioned you, though."

"Most likely not, but if he has, he wouldn't have referred to me as Mammon; he never caught on to that name and always insisted on calling me by my given name, Viper."

"Oh, he's mentioned a Viper a few times," Fran said. "It was more just in passing, though."

"That's okay; I don't expect him to really want anything to do with me anymore – I was the one who got him into drugs, after all."

"Ah." Fran turned to glance out of the window, noticing they had just turned onto Bel's street. "Master is adamant in that he never wants to do drugs again."

"It was something I really shouldn't have done; I just wanted a bit of extra cash." Fran was grateful that Mammon could acknowledge she had done something wrong; it was something he didn't come across very much. "I _do _regret it as Mukuro couldn't really handle it very well."

"Mammy, how come we're talking about the stupid pineapple?" Bel pouted as he reached out, poking Mammon's cheek. His pout only increased when his hand was swatted away, pulling it back to his body. "Let's talk about something else, kay~?"

"Like what, Bel?" Mammon was patient with her friend, and Fran liked that; he knew Bel needed patience sometimes.

"I don't know, but anything _but _that stupid pineapple." Bel crossed his arms against his chest in a stubborn manner, frowning. "Ooh~ I know~ I got Mink high a few nights ago~ I had him on my lap and was blowing the smoke in through his nose, and he started falling over and squeaking~"

"You shouldn't be getting your pet high, Bel; it could be very dangerous for him."

"Nah~"

"Mink is much smaller than you are, Bel, and his body is built different; he might not be able to handle it – that's why I always told you to move his cage from the room if you were going to be smoking in there."

Bel just waved a dismissive hand in the air, refusing to believe his pet couldn't handle being high. "It's funny when he's high~"

"I'm sure it is, but it's not very nice, now, is it?" Mammon indicated as she pulled into Bel's driveway, stopping the car next to the blond's own. "You wouldn't want for anything to happen to him, so you should be more careful with him."

Bel sighed. "If Mammy says so... I still say Mink can handle it, though."

"It's better safe than sorry." Mammon turned the car off before she undid her seatbelt, the younger two having already taken theirs off. She was last out of the car, and once she had locked it, headed towards the house with the males.

Mammon didn't like the idea of Fran being dragged into this, but she knew she had no right to bring this up; Fran wasn't _her _boyfriend, and she had never even known the kid until today – how could she suddenly become a hypocrite and tell him to leave while he still could?

"Froggy should sit down on the couch; I'll get him something nice to drink~" Bel ushered Fran into the living room before he walked into the kitchen, Mammon behind him. She watched the blond pour a glass of coke, suspicious of what he was up to; it wasn't like Bel to suddenly become a respectable host and bring them drinks.

"What are you planning, Bel?" Mammon was leaning against the counter, her indigo locks falling into her eyes. She brushed them back, watching the way the younger pulled open one of the drawers and reached in, resurfacing with a capsule of what she knew contained ecstasy. "Don't put it in his drink, Bel."

"Why not?" The taller adult pouted as he regarded his friend. "It's what I started him off on last time."

"Yes, but I'm sure he'd appreciate being _asked _instead of _drugged_," the woman explained. "If you want to give him ecstasy, _tell _him you're giving it to him."

Bel sighed before he slipped the capsule into his pocket, grabbing the cup and instead taking it out into the living room. He smiled brightly when emerald eyes fixed on him, handing the drink over. "Does Froggy want some ecstasy with that~?"

"Is that what I had last time...?" Fran was suddenly quiet, almost as if he was nervous of the idea of taking drugs again. He chewed at his bottom lip when his boyfriend nodded, wondering what to do; was getting high again worth the crash effect?

"If Froggy wants it, it's right here~" Bel waved the capsule in front of Fran's eyes, smirking when a tiny hand eventually reached out to grab it. "Tip it in your coke and be sure to drink it all up~"

Fran hesitated to take the drugs, and while he sipped at his coke as he thought about what to do, Mammon and Bel sat down, watching the TV as they talked amongst themselves.

"Mammy~" Bel curled indigo locks around his fingers as he moved closer, resting his chin on the woman's shoulder. He sent a playful grin down to her, trying to amuse himself while the ads played. "Mammy, wanna play some more videogames with me~?"

"Only if you're paying me." Mammon held her hand out expectantly, not surprised when a credit card was dropped in her palm. "I want _cash, _Bel."

"I know~ I'll get cash for you later~"

With a sigh, the indigo-haired woman moved to sit in front of the TV, waiting for her friend to set everything up and join her.

Behind them, Fran had already taken the ecstasy. He had dropped the cup to the floor as he lay down, waiting for it to kick in, hoping that the after-effects wouldn't be so bad this time. He watched in silence as the older two played videogames for a while before he felt the drugs starting to hit him.

"Senpai..." Fran rolled off the couch in an effort to stand, attempting to make his way over to the blond. He moaned as he lay on the hardwood floor, not sure he could drag himself along; he was overwhelmed by the strange sensations, finding it difficult to really focus on moving himself.

Bel laughed at the boy as he paused the game, leaning back on his elbows to watch Fran. It was Mammon who stood up and helped the youngest over to him, hating to see this; it was no better than what her group of friends had done to Belphegor when he was just eight-years-old, after all.

"Lay down, Fran." Mammon helped the teenager rest his head in Bel's lap, moving to find a blanket to wrap him in; she knew her friend was too busy trying to coax Fran into sex to care about keeping him safe.

Mammon shook her head once the familiar sounds of sex filled the air, throwing the blanket she had been carrying back onto the bed she had pulled it from; there was no point in disturbing them now as Bel would only insist on getting high and seeing just how much his boyfriend would put out for him this time.

_I'm sorry, Mukuro... _Moving to the kitchen to grab a can of coke from the fridge, Mammon thought about how her cousin must feel about all this; she could only imagine how upset he would be to know his charge had followed in footsteps he had worked so hard to change. _Xanxus and the others messed Bel up too much; there's nothing I can do to fix this for you..._

"S-senpai..."

"A-ah... Fran..."

Glancing over towards the two on the floor, Mammon felt sick as she caught sight of all the blood that was dribbling down Fran's thighs; Bel was _far _too rough with him, and she wouldn't be surprised if he caused permanent damage to the young boy.

_I'm so sorry, Mukuro..._

_**~~XX~~**_

Mammon awoke later that night to tiny hands shaking her. She blinked as she lifted her head from the pillow, coming face-to-face with Fran. The boy had tears running down his cheeks as he trembled, shifting his weight continuously as if it hurt to stand.

"What's wrong, Fran...?" Glancing at the clock beside them, Mammon was surprised to find it was nearing one in the morning; had she really been asleep for that long? She wasn't sure she wanted to know what the two males had been up to, but it was clear that Fran's high was in the process of wearing off. "Where's Bel?"

"Bel-senpai passed out... Can you take me home, please...? Master's been trying to ring me all day, and... He must be really worried..."

Mammon nodded. "Are you able to dress yourself, Fran?" Fran shook his head, his weak legs giving out and proving just how hard it must have been for him to get himself here. Pulling the younger onto the bed, she nodded. "Let me get your clothes and then we'll go."

"Thank you..."

Mammon walked through the corridor of Bel's home, having stayed the night because she had been drinking. She wasn't over the limit, nor was she drunk, but she tended not to drive until the next morning for everyone's safety – she could make an exception for Fran, knowing the boy probably just wanted to go home.

As expected, Bel was sprawled out on the floor, snoring heavily as his pet mink curled in against him. There were empty cans of alcohol and sure signs of drugs scattered around him, and Mammon didn't think she wanted to know what he had been doing to himself.

"Bel, why did you have to get yourself involved with us...?" Rolling her friend onto his side, Mammon knew he would be alright like that until she came back. "You were just a kid..."

Grabbing the clothing that was still by the TV, Mammon made her way back to the blond's bedroom in order to dress Fran, and then they were out of there.

_**~~XX~~**_

"Fran..." Mukuro knew the worst had happened when he opened the door to find his estranged cousin supporting a vomiting Fran. He also knew he shouldn't have let the boy go out, having expected for this to happen, but wanting him to live his life instead of being stuck in the house all day – he knew it wasn't a 'friend from school' Fran had been meeting up with, but he hadn't been able to find it in him to deny the younger his freedom. Reaching out, Mukuro waited until Fran had emptied his stomach before he scooped the boy up into his arms and carried him inside. "Come in, Viper."

"Mammon." The woman closed the door behind her quietly as she followed the man into the living room. She took a seat on the couch while Mukuro sat opposite her, nursing his charge on his lap. "There was nothing I could have done for him, Mukuro."

"I thought you would have left that group by now, Viper." Mukuro frowned down at the boy when he felt Fran grip at him tightly. "The things they do..."

"I stay not only for the money, but for Bel. He needs me."

"What _he _needs is to be locked away in rehab for the rest of his life..." the blue-haired male muttered, threading spidery fingers through teal locks. "He's dragged my precious Fran into this, and now I can't get him out."

"Don't be mad at Bel; it's not his fault." Mammon knew trying to explain things to her cousin wasn't going to be easy, but Belphegor was her _friend, _and she knew him better than anyone – more than anything, he needed love and guidance lest he dig his hole deeper than he already had. "He was _eight,_ Mukuro; he knows nothing but this."

"If you're really the 'friend' you claim to be to him, why did you never pull him out of this while he was still salvageable?" Mukuro's eyes narrowed, knowing he should also have been a better guardian to Fran and have pulled _him _out while he still could – instead, he had let it get to this stage, and now there was no going back.

"Bel is my friend, but so are the others," Mammon replied softly. "He _liked _what they did to him, so who was I to step in? They all paid me extra for me to keep my mouth shut, so I did. I know I messed up, and if I could go back and fix it, I would – but it's too late for that now. I can only do what I can, Mukuro."

"Thanks to your precious _Belphewhore, _I'm now stuck dealing my charge's own problems – it's not enough they did that to Bel; they had to drag Fran into it, as well. You don't know this boy; you don't know what he's going to go through because of this."

"You got off it, Mukuro," Mammon pointed out. "You got off it, and you had one of the worst addictions I'd ever seen. Look at you now; you have a really nice house and a well-paying job, and you've still got your friends. You were always so sickly and had schizophrenia symptoms – not anymore, I hear. You look so much healthier than when you were a teenager. Whatever happens to him from here on in, I'm confident you'll be able to help him, Mukuro."

"I shouldn't _have _to be helping him; he shouldn't be around Belphewhore in the first place."

Mammon bit at her bottom lip, having never liked whenever people would call her friend 'Belphewhore'; it made her remember seeing the way the blond had been assaulted at such a young age – the way they _still _took advantage of Bel's love and trust in them. If only Fran knew he wasn't the only one Bel sleeps with...

"Please don't call him such things, Mukuro; as I said before, he truly knows no better."

"Please leave, Viper; I have to put Fran to bed now so he can rest; he's had a long day." Standing up, Mukuro carried Fran over to the front door, farewelling his cousin. "If you may, please contact me as soon as you know Fran is back with _him_ so I may collect him..."

"That'll cost you, Mukuro. You know my help doesn't come cheap."

"You name the price; anything to keep my little one safe." Closing the front door, Mukuro locked it before he took Fran upstairs and into his own bedroom. "You can sleep with me tonight, little one; if you feel like you need to throw up, I'll get a bucket for you."

"Master..." Dull emerald eyes watched as the man moved about the room as he got ready for bed, unable to stop the tears that leaked down his cheeks. He knew he wouldn't be sleeping tonight, but at least he would have Mukuro's warmth to keep him safe.

"Hush, Fran." Mukuro disappeared out of the room for a minute before he returned with a bucket, placing it by Fran's side of the bed. "It's time for sleep now. Try and rest as much as you can, alright? You need it."

With that said, Mukuro turned the light off before he climbed into bed, holding Fran close to him as he drifted off into a restless sleep; he knew he was a worthless guardian if he couldn't even keep Fran safe from drugs – part of him wondered if he should just give up and ship the boy off to someone else instead.

As much as it would hurt to give Fran away like he was a puppy he had lost interest in, Mukuro only wanted the best for Fran – that was how much he loved the younger, after all.


	5. Chapter 5

Weeks had passed, and as hard as Mukuro had tried, he had been powerless to stop Fran from going back to Belphegor; the boy was rarely home now, spending all his time with the blond, but on occasion Fran had locked himself away in his bedroom, it was usually with whatever various drugs he had gotten from his boyfriend. Mukuro was horrified to see that Fran, who had once been a very beautiful teenager, was slowly letting his appearance become that of a true addict; his eyes were always bloodshot with bags beneath them, his skin was losing its glow and becoming pale and dirty. His face was starting to hollow out, and his arms were covered in syringe marks. It broke the blue-haired man's heart, but Fran was starting to become too vicious to control anymore.

Today was one of the rare days where Fran was home, sitting down in the living room as he watched the TV with a blank expression. He reeked of marijuana, and a few empty syringes lay on the coffee table across from him.

"Little one…?" Mukuro approached slowly, not wanting to startle the other. He stood by the couch, waiting for the boy's attention to fix on him. He sighed when dull emerald orbs stared into his own. "…Little one, I want you to stop all this. No more Belphegor and no more drugs and alcohol; none of it's good for you."

"Fuck you…" Fran muttered, kicking everything off the coffee table. "You can't tell me what to do, you stupid pineapple."

"Fran…" Mukuro narrowed his eyes as he growled, knowing he needed more control over who had once been the perfect charge. "Fran, I won't tolerate you talking to me like that; as your legal guardian, I have every right to tell you what to do – especially when it involves things like this."

"What if I don't _want _you anymore?" the boy hissed. "I hate you so fucking much, Mukuro. I wish you were dead."

"Fran!" Mukuro couldn't deny that those words hurt him – they hurt him _a lot – _but he wasn't going to let that show. "Fran, don't you _ever _say those things to me again! I've given you all my love and support, and I've been all you've had for the past ten years! I _don't _want you around Belphegor _at all, _and if I have to, I'll get the police involved with this so you'll _never _see him again!"

"Call the cops, and I'll be _sure _to tell them everything _you've _done over the years," the younger male threatened. "Bel-senpai won't be the only one going to jail if they hear about _you_."

"Fran…"

"Call the cops, and I tell them _everything_."

Mukuro knew he couldn't put anything past Fran – not in _this _state. "Fran… I don't do anything like that anymore… You _know _that."

"Master's done so much he won't tell _anyone _about." A hateful look crossed Fran's face as he sneered. "I hate you so much for it, Mukuro. I will _always _hate you for it."

"I'm sorry, Fran…" Mukuro didn't know how this had turned around on him when all he had been trying to do was save his charge. "I'm so sorry… I didn't…"

"Sorry won't cut it, you bastard." Getting up from the couch, Fran approached his guardian slowly, pulling a knife from his pocket; like Bel, he had also picked up on the man's knife fetishes. "Sorry won't stop the nightmares and make everything alright again."

"Fran, put the knife down." Mukuro had never been scared of Fran before, but _this_… "Put it down, or I'll hurt you, Fran."

"Of course you would. You always did that when I was little." Fran was fast when he wanted to be, and today was no exception; jumping over the coffee table, he put all his weight into a tackle that knocked Mukuro to the ground.

"Fran!" Mukuro shouted as he reached out, grabbing frail wrists in an attempt to stop the knife from coming closer to him. He kicked and shoved at the younger, but having hit his head hard on the floorboards was making the world spin. "Fran, get off!"

Fran raised his knee before he brought it downwards with crushing force, hitting the man in the groin. Mukuro cried out at the pain, only to bite back a shout as he felt the unmistakable burning associated with being stabbed in the stomach.

"Don't get in my way, Mukuro…" Fran hissed as he pulled the bloodied knife out, tossing it across the room. He watched as heterochromatic eyes squeezed shut in pain, leaning down to whisper in the other's ear. "Bel-senpai and I _love _each other, and I won't let you break us apart."

Mukuro grimaced as he felt the other clamber off him. With all the strength he had left in him, he ignored the agony in his stomach as he pulled his leg back, using it to strike out at Fran's knee. Blood seeped through his pale red shirt, past his hand, but none of that mattered; all he cared about was watching as the boy he had given _everything _to fell to the ground, a whimper of pain escaping dry lips.

Kicking again, Mukuro felt his foot connect with the younger's ribs. The teenager gasped and arched his back, hugging his chest as pain crossed his face. His emerald orbs burned with anger as he got back to his feet, kicking the one who had given him the life he had in the face.

"Fuck you, Mukuro…" With that said, Fran limped out of the house, his breathing catching in his throat as he made his way to Belphegor's home.

Mukuro winced as he dragged himself over to the wall, resting his back against it. He held his stomach as he pulled his phone from his pocket, dialling the number he could only hope still belonged to his cousin. Blood poured down his face from where he had been kicked, his blue eye shut tight.

"Hello?"

"Viper…" Mukuro flinched as the pain suddenly spiked, shuddering as a moan escaped his lips. "…V-viper… Help…"

"Mukuro? Hello? Mukuro!"

"…"

_**~~XX~~**_

"Oh? Why is the frog limping?" Bel licked his lips as he stepped back from the front door, giving his boyfriend entry into his home.

"Mukuro kicked me…" Fran muttered as he moved past the older male. "He got my ribs, too… It hurts to breathe…"

"Shishi~" Reaching out, Bel put his hand against the younger's chest, squeezing slightly. He grinned when the boy cried out, unable to stop himself from putting more pressure on what was clearly a broken rib. "Scream for me, Froggy~"

Fran panted as his face scrunched up in pain, feeling himself being dragged over to the couch. He was tossed carelessly onto the soft fabric, gasping air into his lungs at the pain that shot through him.

Bel poked and prodded the injured area, wanting to know what kinds of noises he could draw out of his boyfriend. He licked his lips as he reduced the other to tears, sliding one of his knives from his pocket.

"Is Froggy going to be a good frog and stay still?" Bel's gentle smile was deceiving as he danced the blade over the boy's stomach, sliding up the dark blue shirt to look at the scrawny body. "If Froggy moves too much, it might hurt more."

The teal-haired male closed his eyes as he forced himself to relax, knowing what was coming; there was nothing the blond loved more than dragging the blades of his own handmade knives through Fran's skin.

It hurt more than anything Fran had ever experienced, but he knew how much of a blood kink his lover had, and he wanted to satisfy the man as best he could – if that meant he was going to be walking around with scars all over his body for the rest of his life, then so be it.

Lifting his arms over his head, Fran allowed his turtleneck to be pulled from his body. He took a deep breath, trying to settle the pain from his ribs. He flinched and whimpered slightly as he felt the first cut, opening up a previous scar inflicted by the blond.

Bel felt himself becoming impossibly hard as his lover lay obediently on the couch for him, waiting for him to ravage his body with all the bloodlust he had. Within a second, his soft demeanour changed into one of aggression, pressing the blade in deeper as he dragged it through flesh, drawing rivers of blood down the boy's skin.

"S-senpai…!" Fran's back arched from the pain, his chest pressing against Bel's as he wrapped one arm around the strong neck. He grasped desperately at the couch beneath him as he moaned, tears slipping down his cheeks; he hated this, but it was something he was willing to do if it meant Bel would love him more. "Senpai… H-hurts…!"

Slapping his boyfriend across the face, Bel snarled. "Shut up. It'll be over soon." With that said, the man lowered his face to the severed flesh, drinking in all the blood he could as his fingers painted random patterns across the trembling, heaving body.

"S-senpai…" Fran sobbed to himself in pain, wishing he didn't love Bel so much – it was hard saying no to the man, even if it meant going through these kinds of things.


	6. Chapter 6

"Are you sure you're okay?" Mammon held her cousin by the waist, supporting the younger as she led him over to his couch; they had just returned from the hospital, the blue-haired man having been there for several weeks due to the damage to his stomach Fran had caused. Mukuro had been devastated about everything, blaming himself for what his charge had turned into – the Fran he had loved for all these years would _never _have hurt a _fly, _let alone stab his guardian.

Mukuro, who was still in a lot of pain and struggling to look after himself, took a deep breath as he nodded, holding his stomach carefully. He dropped himself onto the couch, moaning quietly as the pain in his stomach flared; it had been such a deep wound, he almost hadn't survived the ordeal, but he had refused to stay in the hospital for a minute longer, just wanting to go home where he was more comfortable.

Mammon helped the younger lay down on the couch, getting the TV remote from the floor. She handed it to her cousin before she straightened her back, reaching out to pat blue hair gently. "Would you like a tea, Mukuro?"

Nodding again, Mukuro struggled to bite back the pain. "Thank you, Viper…"

Mammon left the room silently, her movements in the kitchen audible. Mukuro flicked through the TV channels with vague interest, too worried about Fran to really be able to focus on external stimuli – for all this time, his thoughts had been nothing but Fran. He offered a weak smile minutes later when the woman passed him a cup of tea, letting the older adult sit next to him. He couldn't help but move closer to her, dropping his head onto her shoulder as he desperately sought out the comfort he so badly needed; without Fran by his side, he was finding it hard to cope, having relied on the younger's love and support to keep him going – now, what was he supposed to do?

"Do you know how Fran is…?" Mukuro sipped at the tea, heterochromatic eyes fixing on the woman.

Mammon nodded, not sure if she should tell the younger or not; nothing good was happening between Fran and Bel, and it would only work Mukuro up.

"Is he alright…?" Mismatched eyes shone with sadness, impatiently waiting an answer.

"…" Shaking her head, the indigo-haired woman explained. "There is talk between Bel and the others. Squalo and Xanxus want Fran, but Fran is refusing. Bel's trying to coax him into whoring himself out, and if he doesn't agree soon, they're going to take him by force anyway – the only reason they've backed off and given him a choice is because Fran is claimed by their own toy. I'm sorry, Mukuro."

Closing his eyes, Mukuro tried to get up from the couch, only to double over in pain as he held his stomach, moaning. "…F-fran…"

"Mukuro you're going to hurt yourself." The older sat her cousin back, knowing she shouldn't have told him so soon.

"Don't care… I need to get him away from them…"

"Mukuro, you've _tried_." Mammon curled indigo locks around her finger as she shook her head. "Look at what he did to you – he doesn't _want _to leave. You're not going to be able to save him, Mukuro; it's too late for that."

"Rubbish…" Trying to get to his feet once more, Mukuro fell to the ground, his cup of tea falling and shattering across from him. Mammon knelt next to him, her tiny hands rubbing his side in a soothing manner. "Viper… I won't let him do that to himself… I want to get him away from all this – he should never have been involved with it in the first place."

"I know what you're saying, Mukuro, but you're not going to get him out of this – he's in too deep. Even if you _do _manage to get him away, Squalo and Xanxus will come after him, and you know they'll –"

"- Kill him?" An exhausted look crossed Mukuro's face at this, soft pants escaping his lips. "I know very well what they're like… But I won't let them lay a hand on him, Viper – they'll have to get through me first. I won't let them do more to him than they already have…"

"He tried to _kill _you, Mukuro. Just let him be with Bel and move on – he's too far gone; you won't save him."

Mukuro shook his head. "You would never understand, Viper… Please, help me to my bedroom; I wish to rest comfortably for a while…"

Mammon nodded, as careful as she could be while she helped the younger to his feet. She supported her cousin up the stairs, keeping him steady, until he was eventually walking into his bedroom and towards his double-bed. He laid down slowly with the woman's help, eventually pulling the blankets over his thin frame as he spoke to Mammon.

"Please…" Mukuro hated how pathetic he sounded, begging the cousin he hadn't spoken to in years for help, "…I need to get him away from them… Please…"

Mammon brushed blue hair out of Mukuro's face, her expression stoic. "Why are you so desperate to save him?"

"Because Fran is the one I care about most…" Mukuro shook his head, upset that he had to explain things to his own cousin like this. "I love him, more than anything… He's my best friend, Viper… I_ have _to save him…"

Letting her eyes close, Mammon nodded. She leant down, kissing the younger's forehead before she took a large hand and squeezed it. "I understand." Moving back to stroking blue hair comfortingly, she added, "I'll help, but I sincerely doubt anything can be done."

"We have to try, Viper… We _have _to."

Mammon wasn't sure she'd ever understand just how much her cousin loved the boy, but she _did _know he loved the youngest a great deal to be this way; while he was such a gentle person by nature, he didn't often go out of his way to help others unless they were _very _important to him.

_**~~XX~~**_

"Will you two stop fucking sucking face for a minute?" The silver-haired man whom Fran had come to know was named Squalo glared at the younger two, holding a joint in his hand. He sighed when Bel sent him a mischievous grin, knowing that the blond was hard to handle at times.

Bel let his fingers dance down Fran's side as he giggled, passing his bong over to his boyfriend. "Here you go, Froggy."

Fran took the object eagerly, his emerald eyes fixing on Squalo as the man started to speak again.

"Mammon's not dealing drugs anymore." Squalo turned to look at Lussuria, finding the deceivingly gentle smile still on the man's face. He then looked at Xanxus, angry red orbs narrowing.

Bel's grin instantly dropped, knowing what this meant. He moved closer to the older males, his obscured eyes darting between them all. "…But… You aren't… You won't hurt Mammy, right…?"

"Trash, we're going to fucking _kill _her," Xanxus snarled. "We might bang her first if we're in the mood, but either way, she's dead."

"No!" Bel demanded, an angry aura surrounding him. "You are _not _hurting Mammy!"

Squalo reached out, hitting the younger in the head. "Don't think you can order _us _around, you slut! You want to go in the ditch with her?!"

Bel growled, lunging at the one who had just hit him. Fran's eyes widened as he watched the way his boyfriend was instantly overpowered, blood spilling everywhere as punch after punch caked blond hair in the bodily fluid.

Emerald orbs stared in horror as Bel was forced onto his stomach by Squalo, his pants pulled from his hips as Xanxus approached, a hungry look in the red orbs. Fran slapped his hands up to his ears as he heard the older male screaming in pain as he was violated violently by both Xanxus and Squalo, unaware that, by now, Lussuria had approached him.

"You really _are _appetising, dear." Lussuria licked his lips as he let his hand slide in beneath the red shirt Fran was wearing. His fingertips ghosted against tiny nubs as Fran tried to pull away, squeezing roughly. "We can't be the only ones not enjoying ourselves, hon~"

Fran froze in shock, unable to stop himself from being forced into something he hadn't wanted to do with anyone but Bel. It hurt, being with Lussuria, but once Squalo and Xanxus took their turns with him, at first individually and then taking him at the same time, Fran realised that even though Bel was rough with him, at least the blond hadn't caused _this _amount of pain and damage to him.

_**~~XX~~**_

Fran had passed out after hours of torture, only for his eyes to flutter open at soft voices not far from him. He stretched instinctively, startled to feel that there was something wrapped tightly around him. He looked down, finding that someone had had the decency to put a blanket over him.

"You need to leave, Mammy…"

"I knew the risks when I made that decision, Bel."

"What if they come back…?"

"They won't. They think I'll be anywhere but here."

Fran tried to push himself into a sitting position, but his body hurt too much. He dropped back to the ground with a whimper, drawing the attention of the two adults sitting on the bed across from him. The boy took in the sight of Bel, terrified to find the other coated in blood, bruises forming all over his face as Mammon gently wiped the sticky red liquid off with a damp towel.

"Froggy…" Bel frowned, dropping his head to rest against Mammon's shoulder. "…"

"You're awake, Fran." Mammon continued to wipe blood from Bel's face, trying to clean the younger up before she left again. "You've been out for a while. I've already cleaned you up. I hope you don't mind."

Fran shook his head, sighing.

"Will you please go back to Mukuro?" the woman requested softly. "He's really distraught about you."

"I'm never going back to Mukuro…" Fran spat the name with loathing. "Never. He can _die _for all I care."

"He loves you, Fran."

"No, he doesn't."

"He does."

"…"

"I don't want Froggy to go back, either…" Bel winced as the antibacterial Mammon had mixed in to the cloth rubbed against a particularly deep laceration just above his eye. "I want him to _stay_."

"You don't make that decision for him, Bel," the woman scolded gently.

"Froggy's my _boyfriend_, so _of course _I get to make the decision!" The blond folded his arms against his chest in a stubborn manner, pouting a best he could with a swollen cheek.

Mammon sighed, glancing down at the younger's body. Bel was covered in blood and semen, and it made her sick to know they had been assaulted like this solely because the blond had protested. She knew the two men wouldn't kill _them _as they were still what Xanxus would deem 'fuckable', but still… she hated to know they had been hurt so badly.

"Will Mammy stay the night?" Bel rested his chin on the smaller adult's shoulder, sighing. His arms wrapped around a skinny waist as he pressed his body against Mammon's, not wanting his friend to leave.

"I can't, Bel. You know this. I'll come back and see you when I can."

While Bel argued against this, wanting Mammon to stay, Fran just closed his eyes and drifted off into a restless sleep, his dreams full of nightmares, not only about today, but of the things he had seen and been through back when he was still young and in the care of a drug-addicted teen.

Fran would never know this, but Mammon had been the one to comfort him when he started crying in his sleep, begging for his master to stop hurting him. Bel just watched, not bothering to get up and soothe the younger – sometimes, Mammon couldn't help but wonder if he cared for his boyfriend at _all_, or if he just wanted an easy fuck.

Either way, Mammon knew they shouldn't be together.

_**~~XX~~**_

"Mukuro?"

Heterochromatic eyes opened, the man's sleep disturbed. He yawned as he glanced over at the clock across from him, finding two-oh-seven flashing brightly.

"Mukuro, it's done." Mammon leant against the doorframe as she crossed her arms against her chest, reporting to her younger cousin in a soft voice. "They've both been raped. Bel was assaulted physically, especially in the head; he had some deep gashes that I've cleaned up and dressed. Fran merely suffered some pretty bad damage to his rectum."

Mukuro chewed at his lip a he nodded, fighting back tears at the thought of his beautiful Fran having been hurt so badly. "…Take him, Viper… Please…"

"Take him where?" Mammon blinked, awaiting the answer.

"If they're after you, too… I don't care how you do it; get him on a plane to Japan and take him to Tsunayoshi… Please… Sedate him if you must; just get him out of the country… This is too much for him to handle… Too dangerous…"

Mammon nodded, knowing Mukuro wanted nothing more than to have his charge back the way he had been before all this had happened. She could understand it; she missed the way Belphegor had once been, too.


	7. Chapter 7

When Mammon arrived back at Bel's home the next day, she was extra careful to park her car where Xanxus and Squalo wouldn't see it; the two were here, their own sleek black Mercedes parked in Bel's driveway. Once the woman was satisfied with where her car was, she crept up to the house, careful to keep out of sight of the windows as she moved to Bel's bedroom. As expected, the four were on the double bed, Fran and Bel on their backs as Squalo and Xanxus took turns with them. While Bel seemed to be enjoying it, Fran looked uncomfortable – but either way, he was still greatly aroused.

Mammon waited until they seemed to be done, the two oldest adults getting off the bed and moving to their clothing scattered on the floor. Bel stood up and stretched, slipping his own shirt and pants back on, but Fran just rolled onto his side and curled up into a ball, falling fast asleep.

To the woman's relief, Bel followed the other two males from the room, leaving Mammon to slide the window open and climb in. She felt horrible for what she was about to do to Bel but, scooping the youngest up into her arms and sneaking through the house to the backdoor, she knew it was for the better; Fran didn't deserve the kind of life _they _had, after all.

Mammon crept back around the side of the house, hiding behind a bush as she waited until the Mercedes was gone from her view. To her relief, Fran was out cold, taking no notice that he was not in the warm bed any longer – it would only be too much of a hassle if he were to loudly protest against his kidnapping, after all.

As soon as the coast was clear, Mammon was running from the house and back to her car, hoping with all her being Bel hadn't discovered his boyfriend missing just yet – or worse; having seen her running with Fran in her arms.

Hoping she had made a safe getaway, Mammon laid Fran down in the backseat, knowing people would be asking questions if they were to see her with a naked teenager covered in blood and semen sitting in her front seat.

Checking her rear-view mirror to make sure no one was approaching her car, Mammon floored it out of the neighbourhood, making her way back to her cousin's home.

_**~~XX~~**_

Mukuro was seated downstairs by the time Mammon returned, Fran in her arms. He tried to get off the couch to greet them, only to drop back down to the cushions with a hiss of pain, hunching over as he held his stomach. He closed his eyes as he chewed at his lip, prescription medication hardly soothing his pain at all.

"I drugged him once we arrived; he won't be waking up for another few hours." Mammon was making her way towards the couch, Fran held bridal style in her arms.

"Little one…" Mukuro reached out to brush his fingers against a bruised cheek, feeling his heart break at the sight of his beloved charge. He reached out, wrapping one arm around the younger once Mammon had brought Fran close enough to do so, needing to hug him just one last time; no one knew what was going to happen because of this, and Mukuro would never forgive himself if he didn't say a final farewell to the boy he loved so much – there was no guarantee they'd ever see each other again, after all; not with Squalo and Xanxus out for blood. "Little one, I'm so sorry I couldn't get you out of this before now… I love you so much, and I'm sincerely sorry for everything I've put you through… I hope you'll forgive me one day; I know you've never truly gotten over our darker times together… If I could go back and change just one thing about my past, it'd be that I never hurt you, Fran… My precious little one…"

Mammon knew her cousin needed time alone with Fran, so she sat the teenager on the couch, letting him lean against Mukuro. "I'll get some clothing for him before I pack a bag."

"Thank you, Viper…" Mukuro caressed dirty teal strands, leaning down to kiss the boy's forehead. He continued to whisper to the younger, hating that they were forced to part like this, but knowing it was for the best; Fran would be safest up in Japan with Mukuro's friends, and if he were left in Italy like this… "I'm going to miss you, Fran… Be safe…"

Mammon came down just a few minutes later, a black t-shirt with a band logo on the front as well as some blue jeans and boxers. She sat them neatly on the couch next to her as she helped Mukuro support the boy so that she could dress him.

"Are you not embarrassed, Viper…?" Mukuro had worried about letting his cousin dress the boy; she was a female, so she might not be calm at all with this – instead, she looked at stoic as ever, not even uncomfortable when she had to tuck the boy's limp shaft into the material. "I mean…"

Mammon shook her head as she grabbed the jeans next. "I've been dressing Bel and cleaning him for eighteen years now. Not to mention all the times we've slept together. It's no different."

"I am sorry for making you do this, Viper; I…" Mukuro looked to his lap, a frustrated noise escaping his lips. "…I am in no condition to be doing _anything_…"

"I know, Mukuro." Buttoning and zipping the jeans up, Mammon then moved to slip the shirt onto Fran's torso. "It's not a problem. Will you be alright here by yourself? I can come back down from Japan once Tsuna has him if you need me to."

The man shook his head, offering a smile that just didn't reach his eyes. "I will be fine, Viper… It's Fran I'm worried about. Please, take care of him…"

"Of course I will. What will you do if they come here?"

Mukuro knew who 'they' were, and he could only sigh, resigned to his fate if that scenario occurred. "What _can _I do, Viper…? If they want to kill me, I can't defend myself… Not with this injury. If they want to take me, I wouldn't be able to fight them _both _off… I see a very slim chance of getting out of this, Viper, but… There's nothing that can be done…"

"You can't come to Japan?"

Shaking his head, the blue-haired adult tapped at his thigh, a distant look crossing his eyes. "My little one would not be happy to see me, and… they would know where you both have gone if they find I am missing… Besides; I doubt I could cope at the airport with _this_… It's better I just stay here… Whatever happens… happens... Kufufu~ I suppose it's karma for all the wrong I have done towards Fran… I should never have thought my cruelty would go unpunished…"

Viper didn't know how to reply to this, so she instead went back upstairs, returning just fifteen minutes later with a suitcase full of what she believed Fran would need.

"Viper, my wallet is on the bedside table." Mukuro hugged his charge tight as he spoke to his cousin. "You may take however much you desire; even my credit card if you want it."

This was one of the very, _very _rare moments in her life where Mammon just shook her head, declining any form of payment. "I don't want it, Mukuro. I shouldn't have to be paid for helping a family member out – not like _this_."

Mukuro closed his eyes, nodding. He felt Fran being pulled from his hold, his fingertips brushing against the boy's rib one last time. "…I had one of Tsuna's friends forge passports for you both. They're on the kitchen counter."

Mammon nodded, shifting Fran in her arms. She leant forward, placing a soft kiss on her cousin's cheek before she straightened back up. "Keep yourself safe, Mukuro. I'll talk to you when I get a chance."

Mukuro nodded, finding it hard to say goodbye. He just frowned as he looked at his lap, wishing he could sleep the pain away.

_**~~XX~~**_

It hadn't taken Bel long at all to find that Fran was missing. At first he had believed the younger had ran away, but it had taken only seconds to link the open window and the unlocked backdoor together to realise that someone had taken him.

The blond had thrown a fit, smashing anything and everything he could get his hands on as he screamed angrily, vowing that he would tear apart whoever had dared to take _his _property away from him.

Grabbing his phone from beneath his bed, Bel dialled for Squalo. He ignored the other shouting at him before he screamed back at the older male, demanding for them to help him find Fran.

"Whoa, calm the fuck down, shithead!" Squalo roared back. "What the fuck happened?!"

"Someone took my Froggy from me!" Bel stomped his foot as he chewed at his lip, his obscured eyes wide with rage. "They broke in, and they_ took _him! I _demand _you find them and kill them!"

"Who the fuck did it?!"

"I bet it was that stupid pineapple! Yes, it was the pineapple! He _hated _us together and always got in the way! It was _him!_"

"Well, fuck." Speaking to his boyfriend next, Squalo said, "Xanxus, let's go slice pineapples."

There was laughter in the background as Xanxus found amusement from these words. Squalo then reassured the blond that they would handle it, hanging up once Bel was satisfied. Bel himself laughed, a laugh more insane than he would usually make; he was angry – no, he was _furious_ – that someone dared take _his _frog, and for that he would make them _suffer_.

_**~~XX~~**_

Mukuro had been sleeping peacefully on his couch before he was startled into consciousness by his front door being kicked off its hinges. He tried to push himself into a sitting position, only to drop back to the couch as the pain in his stomach flared.

_This was far sooner than I had anticipated… _With a sigh, Mukuro just gave in, knowing there was nothing he could do right now; he was just too injured to put up a fight. _Fran… I hope you'll do better than I am…_

Heterochromatic eyes closed in defeat as three familiar figures stepped into view, the very same people he knew would have come here sooner or later. "You're paying for the damage to my door."

"Dead people have no need for doors." Squalo and Bel stepped forward, twisted smirks on their faces. The blond was quivering with excitement while Xanxus fingered the two guns in their holsters, watching with entertainment. "Tell us where Fran is."

"The last time I checked, he had abandoned me for your prince here." Mukuro shrugged. "I have no idea where he could have gone."

"Liar!" Bel shouted. He drew three knives from his pocket, slashing at Mukuro hard enough to create deep lacerations in the man's arm. "I know you took him from me!"

"Maybe he ran away," Mukuro said in a sardonic tone. "He probably got sick of your ill treatment towards him."

"Tell us where Froggy is, or I'll slit your fucking throat."

"That's not very polite. Now I _definitely _don't want to tell – that is, if I knew anything in the first place _to _tell."

"Bel, let's force it out of him." Squalo looked back to Xanxus, seeing the oldest man nod at them. He reached down, unbuckling his belt, the blond doing the same. "Listen here, you pineapple trash; you're going to ride me – and ride me _good _– and suck this brat off as you do it. Got that?"

"Oh, I'm sorry; you said something?" Mukuro just blinked at the older males; even in his weak state, he wasn't going to give in to them – not without _some _sort of resistance. He didn't flinch as he was backhanded across the face, wincing only when more lacerations were made to his body.

"Get his pants down, Bel."

It was then Mukuro started getting more aggressive, trying to shrug their hands from his body as he protested. He was silenced when the barrel of a gun was pressed against his temple, but even then he still didn't obey his orders.

"Do what they tell you, or I'll blow your fucking brains out." Red eyes stared into heterochromatic ones. The finger on the safety switch pulled it back, a silent warning that he wasn't messing around.

"I would rather die than pleasure sick men like you." Mukuro sneered. "Pull the trigger. At least I'll die with my dignity still intact."

Mukuro was shoved hard at by Bel, the blond forcing him into Squalo's lap where the long-haired man shoved himself into the unprepared hole. Squalo didn't wait for the other to adjust, he just started thrusting upwards as rough as he could while Bel shoved himself into the blue-haired man's mouth.

It went on like this for what felt like hours, and just when Mukuro couldn't take anymore, the trigger of the gun was pulled back, a deafening bang sounding right by his ear, and then the world went black.


	8. Chapter 8

When Fran's eyes opened, he was shocked to find himself in a room he hadn't been in when he had gone to sleep. There were foggy memories in mind, ones of vaguely familiar voices and being soothed back into sleep as a water bottle was lifted to his mouth, water that didn't taste right flowing past his lips and down his throat.

The boy groaned as he pushed himself into a sitting position, his body aching in protest. He looked around at his surroundings with slightly blurred eyes, finding himself in a room the size of Mukuro's living room, a king-size bed pressed against the wall in the middle with silky violet sheets and pillows, and wall windows that gave an amazing view of the nearby forest and lake. There was a dresser across from the bed, a desk resting against one of the windows, and several bookshelves scattered around the room.

Fran knew exactly where he was, and he was _not _happy.

Throwing himself off the bed, Fran stomped from the room and out into the corridor. He turned left, heading towards the huge staircase down the end of the hall, making his way to the living room; he was near guaranteed to find someone in there, and he wanted answers. _Now_.

As expected, the living room was occupied, but what Fran hadn't been expecting was to find everyone gathered in the spacious area, grim looks on their face. The boy had been expecting Mukuro of all people to be with them - certainly not _Mammon_.

"Why am I here?" Fran was angry, his dull emerald orbs alive with hatred. "I want to go back to Italy!"

The brunet, who was standing by Mammon's side, turned to look at Fran, his brown eyes full of remorse. Mammon had her head down, her face in her hands. The brunet was rubbing her back gently, a frown on his usually kind face. Fran didn't care about what could possibly have happened; he wanted to go back to Belphegor.

"Fran…" The brunet whom Fran knew as Tsuna spoke in a pained tone. "…I have some really bad news…"

Fran's glare just intensified, not caring one bit for anyone around him – not when they had had the audacity to kidnap him and bring him to Japan against his will. "I don't care. Just get me back to Italy."

"Mukuro's –"

"- I don't _care _about Mukuro, alright?!" Fran snapped. "I don't!"

"…He might die, Fran…" Tsuna's eyes welled up with tears at these words. "…He was shot in the head, and he might not make it… A neighbour heard the gunshot and called the police, but when they arrived… He was raped and assaulted, and his condition is critical… They think that if he _does _survive… he might never be the same again…"

"I don't care." Fran turned his nose up in the air, feeling sick; his body was telling him he was way overdue for his next dose of drugs. "I hope he _does _die."

There were disgusted noises around the room, no one able to stomach the boy's words. Everyone thought it would be Tsuna who would reply to this, and though the young man had opened his mouth to do so, it was Mammon who snapped.

"How _dare _you say that about him?!" The woman had gotten to her feet, her usual stoic face full of agony. "He used himself as a decoy knowing full well he would probably die, and he did it all for you! He was willing to give his life for yours because he loved you more than anything else in the world! How dare you talk about him like that when he's fighting for his life so _you _can be safe?!"

Fran just blinked, a ragged cough tearing his throat apart before he said, "It's not _my _fault he's apparently suicidal – _I _wasn't the one who abused him the way _he _had to _me_."

"We understand that Mukuro had a drug problem…" Tsuna was looking angry himself, unable to stand by and let someone insult his friend like this. "He was aggressive towards even _us, _Fran… But he was still our friend and we helped him off it. He _asked _us for help because he didn't want to hurt you anymore, Fran. Mukuro is a prideful person; it took him a lot of strength to ask us what he did – he did it for _you_. From the moment he took you in, he loved you – he was just struggling with his addiction. He wouldn't have given you a second glance if he _didn't _love you, Fran. He's given you everything he's ever had; you've been his best friend for the past ten years; but more than that, he's been the only thing you've _ever _had that's come even _close _to family – you have no right to say to us that you don't care that he might die – he would_ never_ say that about _you_."

"You have no idea what he's like behind those kind words and gestures," the boy spat. "He used to _molest _me."

"Fran…" Tsuna _did _care about what Fran was telling him, and he truly wasn't picking sides in this moment; he was just trying to get the youngest to understand that his guardian might _die_. "…Fran, when was the last time he did it?"

"When he was still on drugs," Fran hissed.

"It wasn't _him _that had molested you; it was the drugs." The brunet wasn't sure that made any sense, but damnit, he needed Fran to understand! "He hadn't had interest in sex before he got on the drugs, but once he started, that changed. It wasn't until he got off them did he go back to normal. He'd sexually harass me and Hibari-san constantly when he was high, but that all stopped once it was out of his system – it never happened again, I _swear_. Mukuro doesn't have a mean bone in his body; he probably thinks about what he did all the time, Fran – I know him well enough to know he'd regret it with every passing second in his life."

"You obviously got over it to be as close to that pineapple bastard as you are," Tsuna's silver-haired companion butted in, his green eyes full of annoyance. "Some part of you must have forgiven him for everything he had done because I never see kids your age as close to their guardians as you two are."

"I never got over it; I just knew it had stopped. It doesn't mean _I _don't still think about it or anything."

"We wouldn't expect you to…" The tallest man in the room had very soft dark eyes as he regarded Fran, a sad expression on his face. "But Gokudera's simply saying that now of all times, you're stewing on it – drugs aren't good for you, Fran… You were completely fine before you got into all of this."

"Don't tell me what's good and bad for me!" Fran lifted a hand trembling from withdrawal, pointing around the room. "I hate every single one of you, and I hope you all join Mukuro in Hell." With that said, Fran left the room, storming back to the bedroom he had woken up in; if he were lucky, he'd be able to throw himself out of the window and die upon hitting the ground – this _was _a huge mansion, after all.

_**~~XX~~**_

Tsuna had gone to check on Fran not long after the boy had left, just in time to find him trying to thrust himself through the windows of his bedroom. It had been a screaming match as Fran viciously fought to get free when the man started dragging him from the windows and over to the bed, trying his hardest to keep the younger safe – Fran just didn't want to be helped, Tsuna could see.

The brunet had tried tying the boy's wrists together and then adding an extra rope to give him just enough room to walk around and not be able to go near the windows, but when Fran had learnt he couldn't chew through his bindings, he had wrapped the rope around his neck and tried to strangle himself. He hadn't gotten very far in his attempt before one of the occupants had walked past the open door and seen what he was doing. Tsuna had then tried taking him out of the room altogether and putting him in another one, but with the lack of tools to try and kill himself with, Fran had simply started biting at his wrists, trying to bleed out.

Tsuna knew they were going to have a harder time helping Fran than they had had with Mukuro, but no matter what, they were going to have to try – Mukuro didn't put his life on the line for nothing, after all.


	9. Chapter 9

"I think he's stealing shit…"

Tsuna's soft eyes looked over his silver-haired best friend, his hand dropping the pen he was holding down to the desk he sat at. "I know, Gokudera-kun… But until we actually catch him taking our belongings, we can't say anything to him – he'll take it badly if we do."

"You _do _realise he's probably selling it all to get more drugs, right?" Green eyes stared into brown ones as the taller male scowled. "I don't know if he's gotten anymore drugs, but I bet he has. Tenth, if you want me to handle this, I'm more than happy to –"

"- Gokudera-kun, as much as you do, I want him to stop all this as well – the only issue is, cutting him off completely from drugs is _very _bad for his health." Tsuna stood up, moving to the man named Gokudera. He put a small hand on the other's shoulder, smiling sadly. "We can't force him when he doesn't want to; we need to try and encourage him to quit before there's anything we can do."

Gokudera sighed. "Tenth… That pineapple bastard was hard enough to get off them, and he _wanted _to quit… How are we supposed to handle _him_? None of us can even walk past his bedroom without having him scream threats at us, and he's keeping us up at night with his fucking freak-outs…"

"I know, Gokudera-kun…" It hurt Tsuna to have to expose his friends to this kind of thing, but what else could he do? After what had happened to Mukuro, there was no _way _he could send Fran back – especially not when there were people out there trying to track his whereabouts down. "Try and be patient, alright? It might take a while, but he needs as much support as he can get – this isn't an easy thing."

The taller male shifted uneasily before he moved over to the couch pressed against the far wall. He sat down, his hands entwined in his lap. "I know, Tenth…" Gokudera wasn't a patient person by any means, and he trusted very few; trying to cope with this new situation was as hard as trying to keep Fran safe.

The brunet followed his friend over to the couch and sat beside him. "What if we ask Yamamoto to watch him for a while? We can go and find something to do in town to get your mind off things. How's that sound?"

Gokudera smiled as he nodded. "Please, Tenth. My treat."

"You don't have to, Gokudera-kun." The younger male's eyes shone brightly as he stood up once again, helping his friend from the couch. "Let me get my jacket and then we can find Yamamoto."

Green eyes sparkled with joy as Gokudera followed behind, his hands held to his chest as a bright smile stretched across his face. Tsuna often wondered if the silver-haired male had been someone's loyal dog in a previous life, because he acted very much so like one.

The only problem was, Gokudera struggled to get along with everyone else, and that was what bothered Tsuna the most about his treasured best friend.

_**~~XX~~**_

Fran cracked open an eye as he glared at his bedroom door, grinding his teeth as it opened. In a hoarse voice, he croaked out, "Fuck off…!"

The tall, dark-haired man Fran knew as Yamamoto stepped in, a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes on his face. "Yo."

Fran groaned as he closed his eyes once more, his head pounding as a wave of nausea washed over him. He was curled up in his bed, the blankets tucked tightly around his trembling body; never before had he felt so weak. He was certain that if he hadn't been given a detox, he would be feeling even worse.

"Shut up…" The boy hissed as the man came closer to him, instinctively withdrawing away from the other. He growled when a hand reached out towards him, slapping it away as it rested in his dirty teal locks.

"What happened for you to become this way…?" Yamamoto was a man who always smiled, and it was very rare to see him sad; the baseball addict seemed absolutely _heartbroken_. "I remember when you were such a sweet little kid… You used to ride on my shoulders, remember? You thought it was funny. Remember that time where I tripped over, and you scraped your knee?"

"…" Fran glanced away, indeed remembering that time very well; he had loved nothing more than to sit on Yamamoto's shoulders and pretend he was a horse – but that was in the past.

"You sat on the ground, crying as you held it." Yamamoto chuckled slightly at this. "You stopped crying the second Mukuro picked you up and hugged you. You hugged him back, and though you were sniffling, you were smiling again."

"…So what…? He's probably dead by now, rotting away in some stupid hospital bed." Rolling onto his side so that his back was to Yamamoto, Fran curled up into a ball, his body in great discomfort from the withdrawal. "Memories like that are ridiculous to have."

"I remember the first time I met you." Sitting on the edge of the mattress, Yamamoto looked to the floor, memories of such a sweet, joyful Fran running rampart in his mind. "It was your first time in Japan, and you were very anxious. Mukuro was still in a bad state, but he let you hold his hand and hide behind him. He was very quiet and feeling down because he hadn't had anything on the plane, but already I could see just how much he cared about you and that you seemed to like him as well. He introduced you and then encouraged you to interact with us, and you trusted him enough to leave his side and approach me first. We played baseball together, remember?"

"Yeah, and you fucking sucked at it." Fran felt hatred overwhelm him all of a sudden; he couldn't _stand _having recollections placed in his head when right now, he wanted nothing more than to die; if he couldn't be back with Bel, than he didn't want to live. "You threw the damn ball in my face, you asshole."

Yamamoto laughed good-naturedly, remembering very well how upset Mukuro had been as he raced down the field to check on Fran. The blue-haired male had been greatly worried about his charge, but when it became clear it was just minor bruising and nothing more, he soon relaxed.

"So you _do _remember!" Yamamoto reached out, patting the younger's shoulder happily. He didn't take it personally when the other snarled at him, knowing he had to give the same patience to Fran as he had to Mukuro; the teal-haired boy was suffering enough without being judged for his actions. "Remember that time when –"

"Just shut up!" Fran winced at his own shout, feeling as if his head was about to split. "I don't want to remember anything because I don't _care _anymore! I don't care about Mukuro, of _any _of you! Just leave me alone to fucking die!"

"…" Yamamoto's eyes shone with sadness, but he didn't leave; he just let his smile slip from his face as he frowned down at the ground. "…I just wanted you to remember the fun we had together… Maybe it doesn't mean anything to you anymore… But it still means a lot to _us_…"

"Leave. Me. _Alone!_" Shoving the blankets from his body, Fran pushed himself into a sitting position. He curled his hand into a fist as he punched angrily at the man, but Yamamoto was fast; he blocked the attack before he stood up, leaving the room without a word.

Fran glared at the older male as he left, only to let his emotions shift abruptly the second he was alone again. Dropping back to the bed, he moaned in pain as his sobs caused more discomfort in his head, curling into a ball as he ripped at his teal strands, crying; he didn't understand what was wrong with him, just that lately, not long after he had arrived here, he had been feeling more depressed than ever. Maybe it was the withdrawal, or perhaps it was something else, but more than ever, Fran wanted to die.

_**~~XX~~**_

Yamamoto had been careful to keep an eye on Fran throughout the day as the co-workers he shared the mansion with went about their business. Mammon, who had been staying with them for the two weeks she and Fran had been in Japan for, was locked away in the room she had been given, not appearing even for meals. Tsuna had been the only one she would talk to, but even then, the brunet wouldn't tell anyone what was wrong with her.

Yamamoto hoped the woman was okay; Mammon was as polite and respectful as Mukuro was, and they got along well. Just thinking about her made him remember how they had met in the first place.

The Vongola Mansion had been built several years ago in order to accommodate the main staff of a very large, world-wide company. While Tsuna headed the entire company, Mammon had worked for the Italian branch, where she had met Xanxus who was being trained by his foster father. The two had sparked a friendship where she had eventually met Lussuria and Squalo, and shortly after that, she had realised she could make money off them due to their addictions.

While Tsuna and the others were already friends with Mukuro, it was inevitable they would eventually meet Mammon. They had also been introduced to Xanxus and his group as well, but right from the get-go, there was conflict between the separate cliques - Mammon just happened to be easy-going enough to be friends with both parties.

Yamamoto was snapped out of his thoughts by Tsuna and Gokudera's return, the silver-haired man looking happier than he had been since Fran and Mammon's arrival.

"Yo." Yamamoto, who had just returned back to his bedroom after checking on Fran, put down the baseball magazine he had been reading about. He smiled at his two best friends, feeling better now that they were back; Fran had run him dry, and he needed a break. "Fran's sleeping. I've just checked to make sure he's comfortable."

"Ah, that's great." Tsuna smiled at the news, glad to hear their guest was alright for the moment. "Byakuran rang earlier."

Yamamoto blinked at the news. "What did he say?"

"Mukuro's doing better, thankfully." Tsuna sighed in relief at his own news. "He's talking again now, but Byakuran said there's issues with it. Mukuro's very quiet, and he's struggling to communicate properly. The nurses asked him to write what had happened on a piece of paper, but he could barely do so."

"Do you know of his condition?" Yamamoto was anxious, wanting to know if his friend was going to be okay or not.

"He has post-traumatic amnesia, the nurse told Byakuran." Tsuna looked sad at this. "They're not sure of the extent of the damage just yet, but they've said the bullet's gone through his temporal lobe and damaged his frontal lobe. It's too early to tell for sure, but he may suffer amnesia, and struggle with recognising people. His motor skills and emotional responses could also be greatly affected by this as well. This is just some of what we should expect…"

"How's Byakuran taking it?" Yamamoto knew their friend would be upset; Byakuran and Mukuro had been dating on and off for a few years, their relationship mostly long-distance; as soon as their marshmallow-loving friend had heard the news, he had caught the next flight down to Italy to be with his lover.

"He's… okay…" The brunet rubbed the back of his head in a sheepish manner, his brown eyes darting around the room. "He's adjusting. He's just watching the nurses care for Mukuro at the moment; he's not sure if he's ready to help or not."

Yamamoto knew it was understandable; Byakuran wasn't a gentle person by nature; he was rough and forceful, and often treated others as his playthings – there were plenty of reasons their relationship went on and off but, despite that, they _did _love each other; Byakuran just wasn't very apt at showing his affections.

"I really hope they'll be okay soon." Yamamoto made himself more comfortable on his bed, crossing his arms against his chest. "Fran, too. This is horrible – for _everyone_."

"I know…" Tsuna sighed. "I know, Yamamoto…"

Gokudera, who had been quiet during this exchange, leant against the doorframe, his arms folded as well. While he wasn't particularly fond of Mukuro, Fran or even Byakuran, he certainly _did _feel bad for what they were going through; it wasn't something he'd wish upon _anyone_.


	10. Chapter 10

Tsuna had truly been ran off his feet when it came to caring for Fran; the boy was suicidal, and it seemed he would stop at nothing to either kill himself or be sent back to Italy, whichever one came first – but no matter what the teal-haired boy did, there was no way the brunet could let him do _either_. But as hard as caring for Fran was, he felt as if they were making some sort of progress with him; while taking him daily to a detox and rehabilitation centre – as much as he resisted – they were getting him professional help, and he was starting to get a bit of fat back onto his body, as well as colour in his face. It didn't seem he was craving any less, but they could only hope that soon, he would start to recover.

Staring out of the window of Yamamoto's car, Tsuna sighed thoughtfully. His chin was in his hand, his soft eyes observing the pedestrians on the footpath curiously. Yamamoto was quiet as he watched the road, humming along softly to the radio. Fran was in the backseat, curled up in a blanket as he slept off the sedation he had been given; Fran was violent towards those trying to help him, and it was all that could be done in order to try and save his life.

"Yamamoto, did you see that dog?" Tsuna turned to his friend as he pointed out of the passenger window, his eyes shining brightly. "It looked just like yours."

The taller man smiled as he shook his head. "I didn't see it." Yamamoto lifted his foot off the accelerator as he instead moved it to the brake, the traffic light up ahead having just turned orange. He pushed the clutch in as he geared down, taking his time as he approached the awaiting intersection. "We might need to stop and get some fuel before we go anywhere, though; I didn't put anything in it last night."

"That's fine." Tsuna turned back to the window, content with being with his friend.

It was peaceful between them as Yamamoto stopped the car at the now-red light, his foot off the brake as he held the clutch in instead. He glanced into his rear-view mirror, seeing that the sleek black car that was approaching them was still quite a distance away; plenty of time to stop. He turned back to the windshield, watching as the cars crossing the intersection started to pull out. Some of them had crossed without issue, but it was when the rest of the drivers suddenly pulled up at a green light with their horns blaring did the two men realise something was wrong.

Yamamoto had looked into his rear-view mirror for a split second before he saw the car behind him slam into his own vehicle, a deafening bang as the stereo came flying out at them and the car was punted forwards with enough force to send Yamamoto's car across the intersection.

Tsuna and Yamamoto were dazed once the taller male had slammed his brakes on and stopped the car, but before they could so much as look at each other, the two front doors had been ripped open and hands pulled each of them from their seats and onto the hard pavement beneath them.

"You didn't think you could hide him from us, did you?"

Tsuna, whose head was throbbing all of a sudden, looked up, not surprised to find Xanxus and Squalo standing before them. He knew they would have shown up eventually, and he had been a fool to believe they would have had more time before they did – these two were insane, and they weren't above torturing someone to death; what they had done to Mukuro was tame compared to what they were truly capable of.

"Xanxus…" Tsuna dropped his head as a wave of pain crashed over his body. He shuddered before he looked up again, brown eyes staring into red ones. "…Xanxus, stop this…"

Yamamoto looked behind him at the sound of a car pulling up next to his own. He wasn't surprised when Belphegor got out of it and moved calmly to the back of the vehicle that was now caved in, fumes from the fuel tank filling the air. He flinched and looked up at Squalo when the long-haired man slapped him across the face, dark eyes glazed over with pain as he held a bloody patch on his black jacket. "Squalo…"

"This wouldn't have happened if you just gave us back that fucking brat," Squalo spat. He kicked the younger male in the side, sneering as Yamamoto crumpled to the ground with a soft whimper of pain. "You wouldn't want us to do to you what we did to that pineapple bastard, now, would you?"

Xanxus was standing before them, calm as he pointed one gun at each of the younger males. "That blond trash is getting him now. Speak a _word _about this to _anyone, _and we'll blow _both _of their fucking brains out; the prince trash is quickly losing his value as a toy anyway – it'll be more convenient to get rid of them both once their usefulness is over."

"Don't touch them!" Tsuna demanded, reaching up to rub a gash on his forehead. "If you do _anything _to them, you won't just be answering to us! There are people who'll be more than happy to become involved in this!"

"You mean like the Bucking Horse and that Millefiore creep?" Squalo laughed. "What's the Bucking Horse going to do? Whip us? And the fucking Millefiore bastard would probably send his shitty ass subordinates to do his work for him. The four-eyed one would probably have a heart attack at the sight of us. The second we get back to Italy, both the Millefiore and the pineapple are _dead._"

Yamamoto turned to look at Bel, knowing that Squalo was no longer paying attention to him. He frowned at the sight of the blond starting to tremble as he pulled Fran out of the car, the older male's jaw clenching and unclenching before he ran to the eldest two, tugging at Xanxus' jacket in a panicky manner.

"Fuck off, trash!" Xanxus roared, swinging the barrel of one of his guns so that it hit the smaller man in the head. "Don't touch me!"

Bel hissed as he bent over, lifting a hand over his now-bleeding forehead. He hugged an unmoving Fran tighter to him, biting his lip before he whimpered out, "He had a heart attack…"

"I don't give a fuck!" Xanxus hit the younger again, drawing more blood. Squalo restrained the blond when Bel tried to move away, licking his lips; nothing turned him on more than watching his lover beat the shit out of someone. "He's useless, then!"

Bel's obscured eyes widened as he realised the gun had been pointed at his boyfriend. Without a thought as to his own safety, he hunched over and turned to the side, putting himself in between Fran and the gun. He yelped at the explosion of pain in his side that knocked him to the ground a split second after the echo of a gunshot, squeezing his eyes shut tight as he leant over Fran, trying to protect him.

The blond cried out as he was shot again, this time in the back, biting hard enough at his lip to tear it to pieces. He turned his head to send a hateful glare towards the man he had trusted for the past eighteen years, not even flinching as the gun was instead pressed against his forehead, a finger seconds away from pulling back on the trigger.

"Belphegor!"

Bel flinched as the sound of the gun went off right next to his ear, the bullet grazing his cheek as it did so. He looked up, finding that Tsuna had launched himself at the two men, trying to wrestle the guns from Xanxus' hands as Yamamoto kept Squalo at bay.

"Belphegor!"

Bel looked at Tsuna, finding the brunet looking at him with wide eyes. "…"

"Get to a hospital! Go!"

Bel didn't need to be told twice; he pulled Fran into his arms as he staggered back to the car he had stolen earlier. He winced as a bullet flew past him once again, knowing that Xanxus was trying to kill him before he got away. He didn't move to put Fran into one of the other seats; he instead slid himself in behind the wheel, keeping one arm wrapped around Fran as he weaved through the built-up traffic, trying to get to a hospital as fast as he could.

Bel was scared; he knew Fran's heart attack had more than likely been caused by the younger being taken away from drugs – the blond had given him some very dangerous addictions, after all – and if the teal-haired boy died, this would be all his fault; he should have listened the first time Fran said he didn't want to do drugs.

Now, just because he had been pushy and forceful, he might lose the one he loved most.

_**~~XX~~**_

The blond didn't know how long he had been sitting by Fran's hospital bed for, but it must have been long enough for Tsuna and Yamamoto to come into the room, bandages, stitches and – in the brunet's case – a sling for his now-plastered arm visible; they must have had their injuries tended to some time throughout the day – if it _was _still daytime, that was.

None of them said a word as the two younger men moved to take seats on the opposite side of the bed. Their eyes observed Fran sadly, watching as the boy lay on his back with a look of discomfort on his face. His chest rose and fell with what looked to be effort, and the small beads of sweat on his forehead showed just how much he was struggling.

"I didn't… mean for this to happen…" Bel chewed at his lip, squeezing the smaller hand in his. "I just… I wanted my Froggy back… I didn't… want him to have a heart attack, but... I thought he'd be more fun if I got him high… I shouldn't have forced him…"

"Why don't you come off it?" Tsuna suggested gently. "It's not good for you, and it's only causing bad things to happen."

Bel shook his head, a panicked look crossing his face in just a split second before it changed back to one of uneasiness. Trying to hide how he truly felt about the idea, he instead asked, "Where are Xanxus and Squalo…?"

"The cops came, and they ran off." Tsuna sighed, threading calloused fingers through his hair. "I'm worried they may show up at our home, so Yamamoto and I have put everyone on high alert and to be careful."

"…Why is… Why is Froggy even _here_…?" The blond gave a distressed groan before he tried to articulate his confusion. "The pineapple bastard didn't go with him, and Froggy wouldn't… Wouldn't have stayed on a plane by himself… Who brought him up…? Who _took _him from me…?"

Yamamoto and Tsuna shared a glance before the taller male said, "Mammon did."

"M-mammy…?" Bel was truly confused by this; out of everyone in his life, Mammon was the only person he genuinely trusted not to hurt him – but instead she had done the unforgiveable and taken Fran from him. He didn't know how he felt about this – if it were anyone else, he would be _furious, _but… Mammon was his most important person… "…Why would Mammy…?"

"She and Mukuro didn't want Fran to have the kind of life you do, Belphegor… They wanted him to get off the drugs and go back to how he had been before. They knew that if they didn't get him away from you, he would have only gotten worse…"

"I don't understand…" Bel _was _confused; he had lived that kind of life for so long, there was not one part of him that understood people could live _without _drugs and violence – much less be _happier _without them. "Why can't Froggy… be with me…?"

"You can't honestly tell us you're happy with your life, Belphegor." It had been a long time since the brunet's voice had been as full of compassion as it was now. "Every time I see you, I feel as if you're hiding what you're _really _feeling from everyone."

"…" Bel let his mouth open wordlessly, knowing the younger was right; he _wasn't _happy with his life _at all, _but… It was all he knew…

"I know you didn't have a good family, either, but…" Tsuna sighed. "…What you're doing isn't the answer… You can be happier without drugs…"

Bel became visibly tense at these words before he shook his head. "N-no..."

Yamamoto understood immediately that Bel was scared to leave the only thing he knew behind. It was reasonable, but at the same time heartbreaking. "We will help you if you trust us; we only want you to be okay."

"I don't need help…" Bel narrowed his eyes as he glared at the younger two, his fingers twitching with the need to hurt them; he had never known kindness before, and the idea that things could be resolved _without _violence had never once crossed his mind. "I'm not fucking _weak…!_"

"He didn't say that you are!" Tsuna was quick to defend his friend, knowing they had to be careful in dealing with Belphegor; the blond was greatly unstable, and was always quick to anger. "He just thought maybe you would want some encouragement or something to help you get off drugs!"

"I don't want to get off them…" Bel curled in on himself slightly, his shoulders heaving upwards. His hidden eyes darted side-to-side, his breathing becoming harder as panic crept up on him. "I don't…"

"Why not?"

"I'll remember everything…" Bel flinched at his own words, as if he were utterly terrified of what he was talking about. "I'll… The drugs make it so I don't have to remember… I like it that way… I don't want… to feel the way I used to…"

"What do you mean?" The younger two were gentle as they waited patiently for a reply.

"…My parents… They did so much to me…" Bel looked at the ground as his hands clenched in anger. "I hated them… But Xanxus and Squalo… helped me feel better… They promised I wouldn't feel again, and I _didn't…! _ I like not feeling… I like not living in fear, and wishing I was dead… I wanted to kill myself before they came along…"

"Belphegor…" Tsuna stood up, moving to the taller male's side. He kept his hands to himself, knowing the blond wasn't one for touch. "Belphegor, I can't… I can't imagine what you've been through, but I _do _know that trying to numb the pain like this isn't worth it… You're going to make yourself even worse. Please; I'm _begging _you to get off that stuff – even if it's only for Fran's sake. You can acknowledge you did the wrong thing, so please, _please _understand that you need to help him, and you can only do that if you're clean."

"I don't want to feel anymore!" Bel whimpered as he pulled his knees to his chest, reaching up to tear at his hair. "I don't! Xanxus and Squalo…!"

"You're scared of them, aren't you…?"

"No!" Bel spat, as much as he knew it was true; he _was _scared of the stronger men, but he loved them so much, he couldn't bear to leave them behind.

"You are…" Tsuna sighed. "You're terrified of them, but you don't know any better. You don't have to go back to them, Belphegor; you can stay with us and we'll make sure no one hurts you."

"I don't need protection!" Bel snapped. "Don't treat me as if I can't look after myself! I've been through more than enough to prove I don't need _anyone!_"

"Well, what about this?" The brunet remained calm, not wanting to offend the taller male more than he already had. "What if you come back with us just to see Viper? She's having a really hard time herself, and I think you should talk to her."

"…" Bel sighed. "…Mammy… hurt me by taking Froggy away…"

"And you hurt _her _by doing what you had to her cousin… Come on, Belphegor; please believe we're only considering what's best for everyone."

"I don't want to leave Froggy…" The blond let himself fall forward onto the bed, sighing as he gripped tightly the blankets. "I have… I was a very bad boyfriend to him… I always said he was my boyfriend, but I never treated him as it… I should have looked after him better…"

Yamamoto and Tsuna shared a sad look before the tallest male said, "Then stay here with Fran for now. Once he's ready to come back home, you can come with him; give you a place to stay. How does that sound?"

"…I want to think about it…" Bel reached out, caressing his boyfriend's cheek tenderly.

"That's fine," Tsuna whispered. "We'll leave you two alone for now. Feel better soon, Belphegor."

"…" Bel didn't care to watch them leave; he instead whispered promises to Fran, begging the younger to wake up soon. As well as he hid it, he had a lot of fears; being alone and unloved was his greatest one.

_**~~XX~~**_

"Bel-senpai…" Fran was quiet that night, his body weak. He didn't make any effort to get closer to the older male, too tired to do so. "Bel-senpai, you're here…"

"Of course I am, Froggy." Bel cupped a tiny hand in both of his, offering a forced smile to his lover. "How are you feeling?"

"Bad…"

"…It'll be okay…" Bel ducked his head as he reached out, stroking soft teal locks affectionately. "Everything's going to be okay, Froggy; I promise."

Fran just nodded as he let his eyes slip closed, falling back into oblivion. "Love you… senpai…"

"I love you, too, Froggy…" Bel could hardly believe the fragile teenager beside him could still say those words to him; he had put Fran through so much, and yet the younger was still as loyal to him as day one. He didn't deserve such love and devotion; he was the worst kind of person out there – it was just a shame it had taken indirectly causing his boyfriend a heart attack to realise this.

_I don't want Froggy to hurt anymore… _Bel reached up, wiping at his wet eyes. _I want him to be happy again… I have to make him better… I have to… I can't let him almost lose his life again… I love him too much…_

Dropping his head so that he could kiss Fran's forehead, Bel pulled back to sit in his chair, knowing he was in for another sleepless night.


	11. Chapter 11

Bel had been relieved when Fran had agreed to go to rehab with him. He had honestly expected for the younger to put up a fight, but instead he had agreed immediately to the suggestion, almost as if he just wanted to be with Bel, no matter where they were or what they were doing.

Tsuna had just picked the two up from the facility, pleased to see that Fran was looking _much _healthier than when he had first been brought up here. Bel, likewise, had a bit more colour to his face, but his hands were trembling violently as he tossed their bags into the backseat.

"Come on, Froggy…" Bel helped his lover into the backseat before leaning over to do the seatbelt up. He made sure it was done up securely before he kissed the boy's temple and ruffled teal hair, closing the door behind him. He took the front passenger seat, looking over at Tsuna with tired eyes. "We need to stop at a pharmacist… We have prescriptions we need done…"

"Of course, Belphegor." Tsuna smiled at the older male as he started the car, heading towards the nearest pharmacy. "Can I ask what it's for, or is it personal?"

"They prescribed Froggy with Buprenorphine to treat the opiate addiction. They've given me Zoloft because I have depression, and Acamprosate; my withdrawal symptoms still haven't cleared up – I already had anxiety and insomnia to begin with, but this... I also have to go to a methadone clinic daily for a dose…"

"Do you need us to take you there, or would you rather just borrow one of our cars? I'm sure Ryohei wouldn't mind lending you his."

"It doesn't matter…" Turning to look out of the passenger window, Bel sighed. "What's happened with Squalo and Xanxus…?"

"No one knows; they must be laying low. What are you going to do?"

"I want to go back to Italy… If they come back, I guess all I can do is try and fight them off…"

"What about Fran?" Tsuna looked into the rear-view mirror, finding emerald orbs had moved to stare at him once the boy heard his name being mentioned.

"I want to stay with him… But I think he will be better off with the pineapple…" Bel was quiet, _much _quieter than was normal for him; was he really feeling that bad?

"I'm not so sure about that; not now, anyway." The brunet glanced at Bel for a few seconds before he looked back to the road. "Mukuro's… not well. The damage to his brain was extensive; Byakuran's trying to look after him, but… Mukuro's not the same anymore…"

Bel knew it was his fault; _everything _had been his fault – he was the reason his family had hated him, why he had done so much bad to other people, Mukuro's new disabilities, Fran's condition and Mammon's depression. If he had just… If he had never been born, none of this would have happened…

"Are you okay, Belphegor?" Tsuna knew the older male was still recovering from everything he had been through, and he certainly didn't expect the other to heal overnight; it could take months, perhaps even _years _for Bel to learn how to adjust to his new lifestyle – they had to be patient with him, knowing that no matter what he had done, he _truly _hadn't known any better.

Bel nodded, lifting a hand to chew at his fingernails. He twisted in his seat before he looked at Fran in silence, just glad to see the other sleeping his addiction off; drugs were a _very _hard thing to quit, and the boy's body hadn't been up to the drugs in the first place; trying to get off them was certainly more taxing on him than it was on Bel.

"It's good that he's sleeping…" Bel lifted his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. "He's been throwing up a lot, so it's good he can get some rest; make it a bit easier on him…"

"It is good." The younger male indicated to the right as he moved his car into the next lane, coming up to a turn they needed to take. "Mukuro would be so happy to know he's getting better. He _would _be, anyway…"

Bel frowned, knowing that Mammon wasn't the only one upset about what had happened to Mukuro. He wondered how Fran would react once he was more himself again; would Fran hate him forever, or would he be understanding of the fact that Bel knew no differently?

With a sigh, Bel reached up, wiping at his wet eyes; the thought of losing Fran was agonising.

_**~~XX~~**_

Bel felt very awkward sitting in the middle of Tsuna's living room an hour later, all eyes fixed on him; he wasn't used to such crowding, instead preferring to be by himself or with a small select group of people he was familiar with. He couldn't help but notice that Mammon, and the silver-haired man he knew as Gokudera were absent.

"Senpai…"

Bel winced at Fran's pained moan, moving knowingly to the vomit bag they had bought earlier. He opened it and held it out to the younger, stoic as Fran emptied his stomach into the object. The blond patted the fragile back gently, whispering that it would be okay.

Tsuna was polite enough to draw everyone's attention onto himself, knowing Fran didn't need to be stared at as if he were some mysterious creature at a zoo. "As you can see, they've made it out of rehab. They're going to be staying with us for a while longer until they're both ready to go back to Italy. Give them all the support you can muster; it's not over just yet. Belphegor's handed me their relapse prevention plans, and I'm going to photocopy them and hand them out to everyone so you know what to do if it's needed."

There were nods and murmurs of agreement around the room, but all that Bel cared about was making his boyfriend comfortable. He waited until Fran had definitely finished throwing up before he grabbed the bag of wipes sitting on the floor next to them. He wiped at the younger's mouth before he cleaned his fingers off, soon tossing the used wipe into the bag as well. He truly hated to see Fran like this, but he was also forced to accept the fact that this was his fault in the first place.

Bel quietly excused himself and Fran to leave for their room, wanting to get the boy into bed so that he could sleep a bit more; it was better for him get all the rest he could instead of being awake and suffering through the withdrawal periods.

"Come on, Froggy…"

Fran stumbled to his feet, his small hand clinging tightly to the black hoody his boyfriend was wearing. He was uncoordinated, but with Bel's support, he eventually made it up to the room and into bed where he was soothed into sleep.

Bel didn't want to stick around and watch his lover go through this, so he instead left the room in silence, trying to find Mammon's; he hadn't seen her ever since their last meeting in Italy, and he felt he really needed to talk to her.

Mammon's room was just across the hall, making it a lot easier for the blond to find her. After having knocked on the door and poked his head into the room without invitation, he found the woman curled up in the bed, a mountain of blankets covering her.

"Mammy…?" Bel stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. He approached the bed slowly, knowing that perhaps the older wouldn't want to talk to him – he had hurt her, after all. "Mammy, can I… talk to you…?"

"Leave me, Bel…" Mammon was quiet, unmoving. "I don't want to talk to you…"

"…Mammy… Mammy, I…"

"You cut my cousin into pieces, helped rape him, and then once you were bored of him, you let him be shot in the head. He almost _died _because of you, and now not only can he not recognise anyone, he's so scared, he's terrified of his own _boyfriend_ coming near him, let alone touching him. He's my _cousin, _Bel. You should have known better than to mess with him of all people."

"I'm sorry…" Bel lifted a hand to his face, dragging his nails across the soft skin. "I'm so sorry… I'm… I'm _trying _to change…"

"I don't doubt that you are, Bel… But_ Mukuro _didn't ask for you to change him, now, did he? He was very happy with where he was; he had worked so hard to get to where he had been… Now he's scarred for life… You're paying me big money for this, Bel. _Big _money."

"But… I don't have any money…" Bel let his eyes slip closed. "I'm so sorry…"

"Leave me."

Bel sniffed as he nodded, having never thought being rejected by his best friend would hurt so much; Mammon had never turned her back on him before, no matter what he had done – and he had done _a lot _of things. Did Mukuro really mean that much to her? They hadn't spoken in _years, _so he had assumed Mammon wouldn't give a shit about her cousin.

_I guess I assumed wrong… _Bel let a single tear drip down his cheek. He went back into his bedroom, to the far side of the room so that he could enter the adjoining bathroom, knowing there would have to be _something _in here. _It'll just be better if I kill myself now before I cause more trouble for anyone else… _

To Bel's immense relief, he had found a razor sitting in the cupboard amongst soaps, shampoos and conditioners. He ignored the bottles, grabbing the blade as he dropped to the marble floor, his back resting against the large bathtub behind him.

The man lifted his sleeve, revealing scars that had been self-inflicted at just eight-years-old. He sobbed, tracing the blade over them as he remembered just how much it had hurt to tear his own flesh apart, but knowing that if he could bear with it just one more time, he'd never have to feel anything ever again.

Wincing, Bel forced the blade into his skin, droplets of blood dripping onto the floor beneath him. He bit his lip as he dragged it down, rivers of red flowing past his skin. His tears mingled with his bodily fluid, his knees drawn up in the air as he hunched over, crying his heart out.

"I knew you'd do something stupid like this."

Bel flinched as he lifted his tear-stained face towards the doorway, finding Mammon standing there, as stoic as ever. He recoiled as the woman walked towards him, trying to hide his weakness from her.

"You can't tell me I don't know you, Bel." Mammon knelt down, wrapping her arms around shaking shoulders. She let Bel fall against her chest, holding him close, knowing that, right now, he just needed love and support. She knew Bel hadn't meant for all of this to happen; he was just doing the only thing he had known for all this time; how could she fault him for something that genuinely wasn't his fault? Bel couldn't understand rape and sexual harassment – for eighteen years, it had happened to him; he just believed it to be love from Squalo and Xanxus. He didn't know what it was like to lose someone close to him, or that love _didn't _involve blood, tears and violence. Bel was just doing what he had been taught, with no understanding that what he was doing was _wrong_. "I know you better than you know even yourself."

Bel continued to cry, letting himself be rocked side-to-side. "I love you, Mammy…"

"I love you, too, Bel. Don't hurt yourself anymore."

Maybe Mammon would never forgive Bel for the damage he had done, but this fragile, broken man in her arms was reminiscent of the young Bel desperate for love and affection; he didn't want to hurt anyone; he just wanted to know that someone cared about him.


	12. Chapter 12

Bel had been very surprised by the fact that, when he, Mammon and Fran returned back to Italy two months later, Tsuna, Gokudera and Yamamoto had accompanied them. The six of them were currently standing in the middle of Sicily's airport, Bel picking up his and Fran's bags as they arrived on the conveyer belt. Fran was leaning heavily against him, his tiny fingers curled in his black hoody. At least the boy was doing _much _better now, the blond knew. Lifting a hand, he entwined their fingers together for a few seconds before he squeezed the smaller hand in his.

"Can one of you do me a favour?" Bel had, by now, grabbed everything that belonged to them. He wrapped an arm around Fran's waist, holding him close.

"Of course. What is it?" Tsuna and his friends moved closer, making room for the other travellers around them.

"Can someone go to my house and…" The oldest male sighed. "…Can one of you get rid of all _that_…?"

"We'll do that." Yamamoto smiled as he raised Gokudera's hand into the air, volunteering his friend. "Let's go, Gokudera~"

Tsuna chuckled as the silver-haired man protested, watching the taller two leave. He leant down to grab some of the bags from around Bel's feet, waiting patiently for the other two to lead the way. Mammon walked silently by his side, her own bag slung over her shoulder.

The brunet hoped Mammon would be okay now that she could be back by her cousin's side, but only time would tell.

It didn't take long to get a taxi and arrive at Mukuro's home, the group having travelled in silence. Mammon was the first to step into the house, the males following her. They found the white-haired man named Byakuran sitting in the living room, an ice cream sundae decorated with chocolate topping and marshmallows on the coffee table across from him. He held a phone to his ear as he relaxed, talking happily to whoever was on the other line.

"Byaku –" Tsuna was cut off by the older male raising a hand into the air, signalling that he was almost done.

"Yes, Shou-chan~ That would be wonderful~" Byakuran's violet eyes were closed as he smiled playfully, his head tilted to the side. "Yes, thank you~ Tell them to move it to next week and I'll be there~"

The new arrivals were patient with the other male, knowing he was in the middle of a business call with his second-in-charge. It sounded important, as if there was some sort of meeting Byakuran had to reschedule.

"Tsunayoshi." Byakuran's violet eyes fixed on the brunet now as he ended the call. "I am not surprised to see you've come down as well." The man's orbs moved to Belphegor, narrowing at the sight of the blond. "However, _you _are not welcome here."

Bel shifted uncomfortably, looking anywhere but at the white-haired male. "…"

"He knows he's done wrong," Tsuna said softly. "He regrets his actions and he's trying to make things right again. He's not going to do anything further, Byakuran."

"Viper and Fran may go upstairs to see him, but I'm not letting _him _anywhere _near _Muku-chan." With that said, Byakuran got up, gesturing for the aforementioned people to follow him.

Tsuna rubbed the back of his head as he sat down on the couch, patting the seat next to him. "Sit down, Belphegor; I'll take you up myself to see him when the others are done."

Bel nodded. He sat in silence, his head dropped to his chest; he swore he could still smell the blood, sweat and semen from that day, and he was almost too scared to look around, afraid that if he did so, he would see the blood that had splattered over the couch and window, that he would slip again in the puddle of blood on the floorboards that had surrounded Mukuro's unmoving body.

The man shivered, his breathing coming in sharp pants as his heart sped up; he knew he had hurt the ones he loved most by what he had done in this very spot all those months ago, and the very _thought _of messing up again terrified him.

The blond knew that, if he _did _mess up again, Mammon and Fran might not be so forgiving.

_**~~XX~~**_

"I'll go in first." Byakuran reached out, patting Fran's head in a condescending manner. His eyes sparkled with amusement as the younger shook his head in an attempt to escape the touch. "You're cute, but not as cute as my Muku-chan~"

Fran scowled in annoyance as he stepped back, moving to Mammon's side. He watched the familiar bedroom door be opened and Byakuran disappearing inside, hearing a frightened murmur from his guardian.

"Who are you…?!"

"Relax, Muku-chan, it's me; Byakuran. Your boyfriend." There was patience in Byakuran's voice that Fran didn't know existed; the white-haired man had never shown he could be competent with these kinds of situations.

"Oh… I apologise; I didn't recognise you." Fran knew his Master well enough to know the blue-haired man was embarrassed; he could tell purely from the soft tone the other had used.

"That's okay, Muku-chan. You have some visitors. Are you ready for them?"

Fran started to pace at the silence that wafted from the bedroom, afraid that perhaps Mukuro didn't _want _any visitors; maybe he would _never _want to see anyone ever again. He had been such a bad charge; if he had listened to what the man was trying to tell him, if he had never snuck out that night… Perhaps none of this would have ever happened.

"It's okay." Mammon put a hand on the boy's shoulder, stopping him from moving. "None of it was your fault, and I know Mukuro would never blame you for it, too."

Fran bit at his lip, his emerald eyes close to filling with tears. He nodded, stepping closer to the woman so that he could wrap his arms around her, needing all the comfort he could get.

"Are you two coming in or what?"

Fran turned around at Byakuran's voice, finding him standing in the doorway with an amused smirk on his face.

"Muku-chan's probably thinking you don't want to see him anymore." Fran knew the other was joking, but he couldn't help but flinch at these words anyway.

"Come on, Fran." Mammon took the smaller hand in hers, pulling the boy into the room. It hurt her to see her cousin propped up in bed by a stack of pillows, a book open on his lap as Byakuran tightened a bandage wrapped around his head. He was frowning, his heterochromatic eyes shining with worry.

Looking up to Byakuran, Mukuro whispered, "Who are they…?"

"This is Fran, the boy you've been looking after for the past ten – well, eleven now, if I have done my math correctly – years." Byakuran's finger pointed at Fran for a few seconds more before it moved to Mammon. "And this is your cousin, Mammon."

"Mammon…?" As hard as Mukuro was trying, he couldn't pick apart any memories involving someone named Mammon.

"Viper. Does that help any?"

Mukuro frowned in disappointment for a minute before he soon clicked on, remembering who she was now; her indigo hair, along with Fran's teal, were what helped him recall memories of who he was looking at. "I sincerely apologise… Byakuran informs me I have prosopagnosia. It is… hard for me, too…"

Mammon nodded, knowing her cousin didn't need to be stressed more than he already was. "What did you do to your head?"

"I do not remember."

"He fell off the bed and hit his head," the white-haired man explained. "He's having trouble with remembering things – past and present. Don't take it personally."

Mukuro glanced away at these words, his hands trembling. He flinched when Fran tried to come close to him, his body becoming tense as he whimpered out, "S-stay away…!"

Fran was visibly offended by these words, but Mukuro didn't seem to notice – and that wasn't just because he was cowering.

"Muku-chan, it's alright." Byakuran didn't touch his boyfriend, knowing it would only frighten him more; this man was very different to who he had been previous to the attack. "He's staying where he is. Shh…"

Mukuro flinched again at the older male's voice, but he didn't continue to protest; he just dropped his head to his chest as his hands fumbled with each other. It was Byakuran who explained.

"It's very hard for him to let people approach him; he's suffered a great deal of trauma from the attack."

Fran looked to his feet as he nodded, feeling a single tear drip down his cheek. "Master… Master, I love you…" Heterochromatic eyes just watched the boy warily, Mukuro not saying anything back. "I just want you to know… I forgive you for everything…"

Fran truly did; he had experienced first-hand how hard it was to control one's self when they were on drugs; what Mukuro had done to him was no different than the things Fran had put _him _through, despite how much the teenager _did _love Mukuro – he loved Mukuro more than _anything _in the world; he just… hadn't been able to remember that.

Again, Mukuro didn't reply. He was uncomfortable with this situation, finding his facial blindness crippling enough to leave him with social anxiety; he wanted to be alone now, having embarrassed himself enough for one day.

Picking his book up again, Mukuro felt as if he were being extremely rude, but not knowing how else to put it. "I wish to read more of my book now…"

Fran nodded. He choked out, "Okay, Master…" before he turned to leave, giving his guardian privacy.

Mammon took one last look at Mukuro before she, too, left, not wanting to see her cousin in such a fragile state. She could only hope he would get better with time, but she sincerely doubted it; life just wasn't fair like that.

_**~~XX~~**_

Fran had soon amused himself with videogames, trying to block out the sight he had seen. Mammon had left to go to her own home, knowing that it was unlikely Xanxus and Squalo would find her there any time soon. This left Bel and Tsuna, the two seated downstairs in the living room as they watched Fran play one of the games Mukuro had bought for him as a gift just days prior to his addiction. It was clear that Fran was upset, the boy reaching up to rub at his wet eyes every now and then.

While Byakuran had left the house earlier to get some time to himself, Tsuna took this as an opportunity to take Bel upstairs to see Mukuro; the blond had explained to him that he wanted to have a chance to apologise and make things right, and though the brunet wasn't sure Bel would_ ever _be able to fix things, at least he was _trying_.

"We'll be back, Fran." Tsuna stood up with Bel, leading the blond out of the living room and towards the staircase.

"Do you think he'll want to see me…?" There was an anxiousness in Bel's voice, one that told Tsuna the older male was scared of being rejected.

"We can only hope, Belphegor."

Bel tried to cling to as much hope as he could muster, but it soon became apparent that he wasn't wanted by Mukuro at _all _when the younger started screaming just at the sight of him, bursting into tears seconds after.

Bel didn't stick around to see what would happen next; he just tensed his body as he left the room, finding somewhere he could sit by himself for a while. He was trying so hard to be a better person, but it seemed as if nothing he did made people see that. Had going to rehab and sitting through countless therapy sessions been worth it if _this _was how it would end anyway…?

What had been the point of trying to give himself a better life when all it did was hurt more than his previous one?


	13. Chapter 13

It felt weird to both Bel and Fran to be sleeping in the boy's bed at Mukuro's home; the blond still wasn't used to coming to the younger's home, and while Fran had been gone for so long, he had almost forgotten what his home even _looked _like. It was comforting to the teal-haired male, being back with his beloved guardian and knowing that things were better again; he didn't mind that he had to help Mukuro out with things the man could do perfectly by himself previously because he knew the blue-haired male would do the same for him.

"Bel-senpai…" Fran rolled over on the mattress so that he could bury his face into the white pyjama shirt his lover was wearing. The thick material was warm with the blond's body heat, helping Fran feel at peace.

Bel stirred before his obscured eyes opened. He slung an arm over the boy's body, holding him close. "Mornin', Froggy…"

Fran reached up, gripping the other's shirt as he buried his face in against the soft skin of Bel's throat. He extended his tongue, licking at the small bruise that had put there last night; now that the drugs were out of their systems, the boy had returned to his asexual state. He was wary of Bel, more than he had been before all of this had happened, knowing the blond still wanted to be sexually active. They had come to a compromise, the teenager allowing his lover one night a week to seek someone else out for sex, and as long as there was no emotional attachments in what Bel did, he didn't mind for the older male to be out all night fulfilling his sexual desires; it would be selfish of him to keep Bel all to himself without sex, after all. As far as he knew, Bel had been sleeping with Mammon, something he was perfectly okay with; he wanted his lover to be with someone who would treat him right and with the respect he deserved, feeling sick at the thought of the man being with someone who would treat him as nothing more than a whore – exactly what he had been through for eighteen years already.

"Want to get some breakfast, senpai?" Fran made no effort to get up, content with where he was.

"Mmm… Not just yet, Froggy; it's cold, and I'm warm here." Bel let his eyes slip closed again, resting his chin on top of the younger's head.

"Okay; it's your birthday after all, I guess." Fran wanted to do something special for Bel's birthday, knowing they hadn't been able to do anything for his own; they had still been struggling with the drugs, and his eighteenth hadn't been on their minds.

"Love you, Froggy…"

"I love you, too, senpai." Fran didn't let himself fall back asleep, instead trying to decide what would make this day better than any of the others. He knew Bel didn't see anything special in birthdays, or even other celebrations such as Christmas and Easter; they were just another day to him, having _never _had anyone important celebrate such a special event with him; he knew the closest thing was Bel receiving one cheap gift or a single chocolate from Mammon with a seasonal greeting, but even then, the blond had only ever viewed it as a friendship thing – nothing to do with the holidays.

Fran wanted Bel to enjoy celebrations as much as he did, and he knew that, though it would take a lot of work to help him understand, it would be worth it in the end; he was sure that Bel could smile as much as he did whenever he opened his presents from Mukuro, or that the blond could be as happy as them if he could spend the day with someone the same way Fran and Mukuro always did.

_I might as well make him some breakfast in bed. _Nodding to himself, Fran carefully untangled himself from the man's arm, not wanting to wake him. He tiptoed across the room before he walked out into the hallway, leaving the door open as he did so; he would hate for it to squeak in protest and wake the other up if he tried to close it on his way out.

Fran shivered as he pulled his green pyjama shirt tighter around him. He sighed, wondering why it was so cold in the house; Mukuro had always turned the thermostat on in the – well… the man had probably forgotten they even _had _a thermostat…

Detouring into the living room to turn it on, Fran wasn't surprised when he found Mukuro standing by the couch, folding clothing with trembling hands, his frail body shivering violently with the cold. Fran quickly adjusted the knob on the thermostat before he approached the man, calling out to him to let him know he was there.

"Master, aren't you cold?"

Mukuro jumped a little, his back having been turned to Fran. He took a deep breath to calm himself, running through all the cues he had been presented with to try and get an idea of whom he could be talking with. He knew the only person who referred to him as their master was Fran, but just to avoid himself some embarrassment if he were wrong, he mentioned no names.

"I am…" Heterochromatic eyes glanced away, a slight blush colouring his cheeks. "I am very cold…"

Fran was saddened by these words, knowing that Mukuro probably hadn't even _considered _putting a gown on or anything of the sort, not through any fault of his own, but because his procedural memories had been damaged.

Moving over to the couch, Fran grabbed the light-blue dressing gown buried beneath the pile of clothing his guardian had been folding. He tugged it out before he handed it to the man, his emerald eyes softer than ever.

"You should put this on; I've turned the heater up so it'll be warm soon, Master." Fran was understanding as spidery fingers hesitated to take the gown. "Here, I'll help you. Hold your arms out."

Mukuro did as told, his trembling increasing from nerves; he still wasn't one-hundred per cent with letting others touch him; while Bel had been disappointed but at the same time understanding about not getting any sex, Byakuran had not been happy at all about the fact that his own lover was too afraid to put out for him anymore. He hadn't said anything about it to Mukuro, knowing the younger had enough on his plate as it was, but sex was important to him, and he didn't like not getting his way. They were still together, but Fran worried the white-haired man might start pressuring Mukuro.

"There we go, Master." Fran stepped back once he had tightened the robe, moving to pick up a shirt from the pile. "I'll help you with the folding, and then I'm going to make breakfast. Are you hungry, Master?"

"A little."

Fran nodded, making sure to make his guardian the biggest breakfast he could; Mukuro had never been one to admit just how bad he really was, hating to be seen as weak – instead, he tried to cover things up and make them seem less than they really were, but Fran knew him better than that; he knew when Mukuro needed help and when he was being genuinely honest.

Fran talked to his guardian a bit more, understanding when Mukuro would fall silent or become anxious. He was learning to cope with it, knowing that, no matter how emotional the man could become, or how socially anxious he was around his most loved ones, he still had the same heart he had had previously, and he didn't think _anything _would change that.

Folding the last piece of clothing, Fran handed it to Mukuro as he said, "Master should go and have a rest now; he does too much housework. I can do it for you, Master; you just have to ask."

Mukuro nodded, knowing that a rest did indeed sound good; he was starting to warm up now, and the idea of breakfast was too good to pass up. "Thank you."

Fran missed being referred to as the man's little one, but he knew Mukuro was just scared of mistaking someone for someone else and then making a fool out of himself; unless the man was told directly who people were, he was always careful to avoid _any _direct names or personal details that could show he didn't know who he was talking to.

The boy couldn't understand how hard that must be, but he had to remember that Mukuro was strong, and he could get through this one day.

_**~~XX~~**_

When Bel woke up, it was to the delicious scent of pancakes. He opened his eyes and sat up, reaching out eagerly for the tray that was being passed to him. "Froggy, what brought this on?"

"It's your birthday, senpai." Fran climbed onto the bed next to the man, leaning against him happily. "I wanted to do something nice for you."

"…My birthday…?" Bel frowned as he picked up the cutlery, ready to dig in to his meal. "What's that got to do with breakfast? You do nice things for me every day, Froggy."

"Yeah, but it's your _birthday, _senpai. This is a _special _day."

"What's so special about it? It's just a day where someone turns a year older – happens every year." Bel lifted a piece of pancake to his mouth, sliding the tray closer so that the boy could help himself if he wanted to eat as well.

"It's something to celebrate, Bel-senpai." Fran picked up the glass of orange juice he had put alongside the plate, taking a sip. "And I love you, so I want to make the day as good as I can for you."

Bel chuckled, patting Fran's head. "Silly, frog; I don't need you to make some stupid celebration good for me because you do it _every _day already. Mammy would always get me something for things like this, and she would spend the day with me, but I didn't see the point; why obsess over one stupid day and forget all the others? Presents are nice, though, Froggy; I won't decline them."

Fran snorted, smacking the other's arm gently. "Of course you wouldn't, senpai. I did you get some gifts, though; they're in my closet. I'll give them to you once you've eaten."

Bel's obscured eyes lit up with excitement as he nodded, liking presents very much; they were such a rare thing for him, it made him feel as special as Fran was trying to make him now. Fran just didn't seem to understand that, as long as Bel could spend every day with his lover, he didn't care _what _day it was; he was content with having Fran by his side.

The two spoke together for a few minutes more before there was a knock on the door and Mukuro opened it, poking his head in. He smiled at the two, knowing they were _definitely _Bel and Fran because no one else would be in this room. Truth be told, he was still scared of the blond, that unmistakable hairstyle one of the three he would see every night in his nightmares, but after having been reassured by both Fran and Byakuran that Bel was different now, he was trying his hardest to give the other a chance to not hurt him again.

"Happy birthday, Bel…" Mukuro nudged the door open further as he walked in, his arms full of wrapped presents. "I got you something, and Tsunayoshi and his friends sent down gifts for you as well…"

Fran jumped out of bed, helping his guardian with the load before the other dropped them all. "I've got these ones, Master. You can put yours on the desk."

Mukuro nodded, doing as suggested. He smiled at Fran, patting the boy's head before he left, having gone _far _out of his comfort zone to deliver the presents the way he had.

Bel was sitting in silence, his pancakes forgotten as he stared at the mountain of presents. A single tear dripped down his cheek as realisation hit him like a ton of bricks; Mammon and Fran gave him presents on his days because they cared about him – but for _others _to have given him gifts as well…

Surely that could only mean there were more people who cared about him than he realised, right…? When Fran's arms wrapped around him just seconds later, it suddenly became clear that all the hard work he had put into his recovery _had _been worth it after all; he had gained friends, and a wonderful boyfriend who gave him the love he had sought out ever since his childhood.

For the first time in his life, Bel felt the joy that was supposed to be felt on his birthday, and it was definitely something he would most look forward to again next year.

**I haven't mentioned anything about Xanxus and Squalo because I'm debating doing a second part for this story. I'm not sure I'll do it just yet, but until then, you can leave them up to your imaginations. **


End file.
